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.

StateScour CriticalUnaddressedCountermeasuresIneffective
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 — UnaddressedBridge is scour critical with no countermeasures installed. The foundation is vulnerable and no protective action has been taken.
Code 3 — Countermeasures InstalledProtective measures (riprap, sheet piling, etc.) have been installed to reduce scour risk, but the bridge remains classified as scour critical.
Code 6 — Countermeasures IneffectiveProtective 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.