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
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1977 11,456
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1977 11,456
I-465 EB LICK CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1962 11,454
ROCK CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1957 11,450
LLAGAS CREEK California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1938 11,440
LITTLE NORTHKILL CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1932 11,432
NORMANS KILL New York Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 11,427
Mollala River Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 11,423
Molalla River Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1936 11,423
DENTON CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1959 11,420
BRANCH PENNYPACK CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1973 11,408
BRCH PENNYPACK CR/3259A2 Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1958 11,408
Crooked Brook New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1925 11,393
E FORK GOOSE CRK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1965 11,387
BAYOU MANCHAC Louisiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1972 11,384
Mill Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1946 11,358
OVER TROUT RUN Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1953 11,349
CLIFTY CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1962 11,344
PROPHECY CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1926 11,333
COX CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1940 11,330
STILL RIVER Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1960 11,320
OLD OBION RV DRAIN CAN Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1978 11,306
OVERFLOW Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1978 11,306
OVERFLOW Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1978 11,306
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1978 11,306
OLD OBION RV DRAIN CAN Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1978 11,306
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1978 11,306
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1978 11,306
OBION RIVER Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1978 11,306
SAVANNAH RIVER South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 11,300
SAVANNAH RIVER Georgia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 11,300
WAIMEA RIVER Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1940 11,300
CORTADORA CREEK Puerto Rico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1918 11,300
LEMON BAY ICWW Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1965 11,300
GILLS CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1941 11,300
GUANAJIBO RIVER Puerto Rico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1969 11,300
ST JOSEPH RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1954 11,300
Boca Inlet Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 11,300
SWARTZ CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1969 11,275
TRIB TO BUFFALO CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1960 11,269
CHESTNUT BRANCH Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 11,265
MUD CREEK Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 11,265
MUD CREEK Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1984 11,265
CHESTNUT BRANCH Tennessee Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1984 11,265
KELSO CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1967 11,254
KELSO CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1967 11,254
RIO DEL OSO New Mexico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1964 11,253
WHITE RIVER Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1996 11,250
SHREWSBURY RIVER New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1950 11,230
COON CREEK Minnesota Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1990 11,229

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.