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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PORT WASHINGTON NARROWS | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 21,462 |
| TROUT RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 21,433 |
| GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 21,410 |
| QUARTZ DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| JEFFRIES CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1977 | 21,400 |
| MANOA PALOLO STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 21,400 |
| ROLLIE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| ROLLIE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| COXCOMB DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 21,400 |
| COXCOMB DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| GHOST DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| GHOST DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| QUARTZ DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 21,400 |
| TUNNEL MILL RACE | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 21,354 |
| NOOKSACK RIVER | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1950 | 21,350 |
| BARKERS CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 21,322 |
| DAWSON CREEK/BLUEBONNET | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 21,296 |
| DAWSON CREEK/BLUEBONNET | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 21,296 |
| ABSEC. INL.&RAMPJ&N.VE | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 21,290 |
| CONNECTICUT RIVER NECRR | New Hampshire | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1966 | 21,268 |
| BEAR CR | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 21,265 |
| BEAR CR | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 21,265 |
| PIEDRAS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 21,250 |
| NORTH FORK SPRING CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 21,224 |
| NORTH FORK SPRING CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 21,224 |
| Big Thompson River | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 21,217 |
| TEN MILE RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 21,197 |
| PIGEON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 21,192 |
| ANTELOPE CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1999 | 21,174 |
| CAMAS SWALE | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 21,171 |
| Columbia River | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 21,169 |
| WOLF RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 21,144 |
| COLE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 21,125 |
| COLE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 21,125 |
| MONUMENT CREEK | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1988 | 21,121 |
| GRAND RIV & BILLWOOD HWY | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 21,057 |
| PONCHATOULA CREEK C | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1975 | 21,045 |
| TACONY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1941 | 21,032 |
| US 12;SNAKE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 21,000 |
| CLEARWATER RIVER;BNRR | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1951 | 21,000 |
| SNAKE RIVER | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 21,000 |
| MIRY RUN | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1936 | 20,985 |
| BEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1974 | 20,964 |
| CHACON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1996 | 20,937 |
| PEQUANNOCK RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1952 | 20,930 |
| MISSION CHANNEL OVERFLOW | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 20,910 |
| FLAGON BAYOU RELIEF | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1984 | 20,902 |
| ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1982 | 20,874 |
| Canal C-103 | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 20,850 |
| INDIAN CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 20,850 |
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.