Scour Critical Bridges
23,522 bridges across the US at risk from water erosion around foundations.
Scour Critical Bridges
Scour is the erosion of soil and rock around a bridge's foundation caused by moving water. When foundations are exposed or undermined, a bridge can collapse even if its deck and superstructure are in good condition. Scour is the leading cause of bridge failures in the US. These 23,522 bridges have been identified as vulnerable to scour damage.
| Bridge | State | Scour Status | Condition | Year Built | ADT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E FK/E FK WHITEWATER RIV | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 23,650 |
| KANSAS RIVER UP RR | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1977 | 23,650 |
| Herman Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1952 | 23,643 |
| 4TH STREET @ BEAR CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 23,554 |
| FOUR HOLE SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 23,550 |
| FOUR HOLE SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 23,550 |
| THOMPSON DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1941 | 23,522 |
| Bay Harbor Waterway | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1958 | 23,500 |
| Indian creek | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1963 | 23,500 |
| SALT CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 23,497 |
| BRANCH STONY CR/ 3255H08 | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 23,491 |
| S UMPQUA R (VETS BR) | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 23,447 |
| S UMPQUA R (VETS BR) | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1976 | 23,447 |
| SAGINAW RIVER & JFK DR | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 23,441 |
| RICHLAND CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,414 |
| RICHLAND CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,414 |
| PINE ISLAND BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 23,403 |
| FLORAL HAVEN CREEK | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1999 | 23,380 |
| BLACK RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 23,373 |
| BLACK RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 23,373 |
| Marys River | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 23,359 |
| WATER NEPONSET RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1849 | 23,300 |
| TURABO RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 23,300 |
| LITTLE OGEECHEE RIVER | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 23,300 |
| WATER HOUSATONIC RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1900 | 23,286 |
| PROVIDENCE RIVER | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 23,254 |
| MCKENZIE OFLOW | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,236 |
| MCKENZIE OFLOW | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,236 |
| MCKENZIE OFLOW | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,236 |
| MCKENZIE OFLOW | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 23,236 |
| Grand Canal | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 23,182 |
| GREAT PEE DEE RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 23,150 |
| GREAT PEE DEE SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 23,150 |
| GREAT PEE DEE SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 23,150 |
| GR. PEE DEE SWP & F-RD | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 23,150 |
| GR. PEE DEE SWP & F-RD | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 23,150 |
| GREAT PEE DEE RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1967 | 23,150 |
| POCCOSIN SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 23,150 |
| POCCOSIN SWAMP | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 23,150 |
| WHITE CLAY CREEK | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 23,150 |
| Lake Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1971 | 23,134 |
| Beaver Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 23,127 |
| FIVE MILE RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1887 | 23,102 |
| KRUME DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
| TECKA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 23,100 |
| IROLO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
| BETA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
| BETA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
| KRUME DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
| ORRIS DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 23,100 |
Scour Critical Bridges by State
States ranked by number of scour critical bridges.
| State | Scour Critical | Unaddressed | Countermeasures | Ineffective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,912 | 75 | 516 | 3,321 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,233 | 45 | 2,187 | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1,302 | 13 | 1,288 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1,263 | 0 | 1,217 | 46 |
| Oregon | 1,231 | 4 | 1,221 | 6 |
| Michigan | 1,081 | 14 | 1,062 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 962 | 224 | 732 | 6 |
| New York | 864 | 9 | 780 | 75 |
| Indiana | 756 | 7 | 749 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 751 | 0 | 748 | 3 |
| Kansas | 638 | 9 | 626 | 3 |
| California | 623 | 27 | 562 | 34 |
| Tennessee | 581 | 12 | 569 | 0 |
| Washington | 516 | 14 | 487 | 15 |
| Puerto Rico | 496 | 9 | 487 | 0 |
| Alabama | 450 | 1 | 423 | 26 |
| Iowa | 392 | 3 | 385 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 362 | 2 | 360 | 0 |
| Florida | 357 | 4 | 339 | 14 |
| Oklahoma | 317 | 33 | 283 | 1 |
| Missouri | 312 | 4 | 307 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 301 | 6 | 286 | 9 |
| Connecticut | 279 | 0 | 276 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 257 | 38 | 202 | 17 |
| Vermont | 242 | 0 | 240 | 2 |
| Colorado | 241 | 3 | 238 | 0 |
| Idaho | 215 | 18 | 186 | 11 |
| South Dakota | 207 | 3 | 203 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 187 | 3 | 129 | 55 |
| Massachusetts | 166 | 15 | 106 | 45 |
| Montana | 166 | 13 | 140 | 13 |
| Arizona | 164 | 2 | 160 | 2 |
| West Virginia | 160 | 2 | 98 | 60 |
| Alaska | 159 | 1 | 146 | 12 |
| Maine | 140 | 13 | 126 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 130 | 9 | 105 | 16 |
| New Mexico | 127 | 4 | 114 | 9 |
| North Dakota | 102 | 14 | 87 | 1 |
| Utah | 100 | 6 | 82 | 12 |
| Georgia | 99 | 1 | 81 | 17 |
| Illinois | 99 | 3 | 85 | 11 |
| Nevada | 94 | 0 | 85 | 9 |
| Rhode Island | 94 | 0 | 93 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 86 | 2 | 78 | 6 |
| Hawaii | 83 | 0 | 82 | 1 |
| Kentucky | 56 | 16 | 39 | 1 |
| Maryland | 54 | 1 | 51 | 2 |
| Wyoming | 51 | 1 | 48 | 2 |
| Delaware | 39 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Ohio | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Virginia | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Scour Critical Rating Codes
| Code 2 — Unaddressed | Bridge is scour critical with no countermeasures installed. The foundation is vulnerable and no protective action has been taken. |
| Code 3 — Countermeasures Installed | Protective measures (riprap, sheet piling, etc.) have been installed to reduce scour risk, but the bridge remains classified as scour critical. |
| Code 6 — Countermeasures Ineffective | Protective measures were installed but have been assessed as ineffective. The bridge requires re-evaluation and additional action. |
About Scour Critical Bridges
Scour critical bridges have been identified through underwater inspection or analysis as having foundations that are unstable or could become unstable during flood conditions. FHWA requires action plans for all scour critical bridges. Famous scour failures include the 1987 Schoharie Creek Bridge collapse in New York.