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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHNSON DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 16,972 |
| CHEMUNG RIVER | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1938 | 16,935 |
| SOUTH BRUSH BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1986 | 16,911 |
| CROSS BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1960 | 16,911 |
| BRUSH BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1984 | 16,911 |
| Thompson Run | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1924 | 16,904 |
| ROCK RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 16,902 |
| WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1920 | 16,893 |
| SEEGAR DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1984 | 16,871 |
| LEAFS RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 16,823 |
| EMORY RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 16,817 |
| TUOLUMNE RIVER | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1916 | 16,815 |
| BIG FLAT BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1929 | 16,806 |
| BOUND BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1945 | 16,801 |
| S.BRANCH OF FORKED RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 16,800 |
| SARASOTA BAY | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 16,800 |
| CARSON RIVER | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1980 | 16,800 |
| Shangri La Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 16,793 |
| WATER NEPONSET RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1875 | 16,785 |
| BACK BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 16,780 |
| Willamette River | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1925 | 16,759 |
| CARSON RVR | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 16,750 |
| CARSON RVR | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1987 | 16,750 |
| CRADLEBAUGH SLOUGH | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 16,750 |
| CRADLEBAUGH SLOUGH | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1987 | 16,750 |
| CACOOSING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1934 | 16,737 |
| MIDDLE BR MACON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 16,735 |
| MIDDLE BR MACON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 16,735 |
| N BR MACON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 16,735 |
| N BR MACON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 16,735 |
| FRANKLIN POND CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 16,729 |
| B-90 OVER JOHNSON CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 16,718 |
| LAS VEGAS WASH | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 16,700 |
| GRANDE DE LOIZA RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1980 | 16,700 |
| GTW RR & GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 16,689 |
| ALDER CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2005 | 16,683 |
| WATER MILLERS RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 16,680 |
| MANOR CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1947 | 16,678 |
| MUSQUAPSINK BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 16,673 |
| YAKIMA RIVER | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1959 | 16,667 |
| YAKIMA RIVER | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1959 | 16,667 |
| WATERWAY | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 16,650 |
| WATER CHARLES RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1877 | 16,601 |
| CEDAR RIVER | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1975 | 16,600 |
| MARK WEST CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 16,600 |
| STEAMBOAT SLOUGH | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1927 | 16,592 |
| STEAMBOAT SLOUGH | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 16,592 |
| CARENCRO BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 16,573 |
| ROBINSON BRANCH RAH RIV | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1900 | 16,566 |
| BR INDIAN CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1993 | 16,548 |
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.