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
MUSKEE CREEK New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1987 19,874
MANUMUSKIN RIVER New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 19,874
ROGUE RIVER (HOMESTEAD) Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 19,847
ROGUE RIVER (HOMESTEAD) Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 19,847
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1900 19,840
SALINE RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 19,825
SALINE RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1948 19,825
WHITEWATER RIVER OVFL Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1965 19,818
WHITEWATER RIVER OVFL Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1965 19,818
CONNOR CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1985 19,800
CONNOR CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1985 19,800
ASHLEY RIVER South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1971 19,800
WHITEWATER RIVER Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1936 19,677
SADDLE RIVER New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1945 19,664
BOARDMAN RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1980 19,628
HOOSIER CREEK Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,597
MINE RUN Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1951 19,593
Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1992 19,591
TURKEY CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1986 19,581
SANTA MONICA LAKE Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1973 19,501
SHELTON DITCH Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1975 19,501
PAYETTE RIVER Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
Cobbs Creek Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1948 19,500
PEQUANNOCK RIVER New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1924 19,500
GAS LINE WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
GAS LINE WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1968 19,500
LAVA WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1968 19,500
LAVA WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1968 19,500
AIRPORT WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1968 19,500
AIRPORT WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1968 19,500
BLOSSOM WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
BLOSSOM WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
BLOOM WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
BLOOM WASH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 19,500
ANTHONY CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1964 19,477
ANTHONY CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1964 19,477
TOWAMENCIN CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1986 19,455
PERNICK CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1992 19,439
GEYER DITCH Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1925 19,425
Oak Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1988 19,406
QUINNIPIAC RIVER Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1965 19,400
ABERS CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1952 19,380
PINE RUN Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1941 19,355
FLINT RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1994 19,352
BRUSH BAYOU Louisiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1977 19,314
St. Cloud Canal C-31 Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1957 19,300
SAGINAW RIVER AND MCRR Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1987 19,300
BEAVER RUN(PAULINS KILL) New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1915 19,298
PAULINS KILL New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1990 19,297
TOWAMENCIN CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1962 19,293

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.