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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE BULL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 11,736 |
| CARICABOA RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1937 | 11,700 |
| N BRANCH RARITAN RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 11,686 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 11,680 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 11,680 |
| QUASSAIC CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1929 | 11,671 |
| NORTH BR PENNSAUKEN CK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1912 | 11,669 |
| CEDAR RIVER | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 11,649 |
| MIDDLE BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1936 | 11,646 |
| MILL CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 11,636 |
| WAFER CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 11,636 |
| CYPRESS CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1961 | 11,636 |
| YUBA RIVER | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1957 | 11,630 |
| TOWAMENCIN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1855 | 11,616 |
| HOLDER CR HOBART RD | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1961 | 11,615 |
| BOECKMAN CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1986 | 11,613 |
| Draw | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 11,605 |
| CASS RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1943 | 11,600 |
| BIG SYCAMORE CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1938 | 11,600 |
| WAIALUA TWN A (HELEMANO) | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 11,600 |
| OPAELUA WAIALUA TWN B | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 11,600 |
| WISSAHICKON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1964 | 11,591 |
| Johnson CK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 11,588 |
| Santa Cruz River | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 11,577 |
| WATER LEESVILLE PD OTLT | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1935 | 11,567 |
| JOHNSON CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 11,561 |
| MISSISSIPPI RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1975 | 11,561 |
| ST. JONES RIVER | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1885 | 11,547 |
| S FK SNOQUALMIE R | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1936 | 11,531 |
| S BR RAISIN RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1932 | 11,522 |
| FISH COVE | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 11,515 |
| RED CEDAR RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2024 | 11,510 |
| THREE STAR DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| W. Relief Indian River | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1987 | 11,500 |
| WIDE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| TETON CREEK | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 11,500 |
| ADAIR DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| IROLO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| IRELAND CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 11,500 |
| ADAIR DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| THREE STAR DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| HILLOCK DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| HILLOCK DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| WIDE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1967 | 11,500 |
| SINKUM DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 11,498 |
| Pima Lateral Canal | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1920 | 11,494 |
| WEST COLYELL CR. | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1932 | 11,488 |
| EAGLE CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 11,487 |
| ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1950 | 11,478 |
| PERKIOMEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1798 | 11,474 |
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.