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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOORES CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1912 | 11,227 |
| NINNESCAH RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 11,227 |
| NINNESCAH RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 11,227 |
| ISAAC BRANCH-MOORES LAKE | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1919 | 11,225 |
| PLUM BROOK DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1972 | 11,214 |
| DESCHUTES RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 11,211 |
| MISSISSINEWA RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 11,210 |
| ALA RIVER RELIEF | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 11,205 |
| GOLDEN GATE MAIN CANAL | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1965 | 11,205 |
| Leon Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 11,202 |
| DESCALABRADO RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1921 | 11,200 |
| UNKNOWN WATERWAY | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1994 | 11,200 |
| PIEDRAS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1965 | 11,200 |
| TRUCKEE RIVER | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1980 | 11,200 |
| Lee Moore Wash | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 11,193 |
| CROSS BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1990 | 11,190 |
| CLINTON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 11,186 |
| POCOPSON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1937 | 11,166 |
| LONG RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 11,163 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1928 | 11,160 |
| LACAMAS LAKE | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 11,155 |
| CHESTER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 11,154 |
| WACCAMAW RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2000 | 11,150 |
| WACCAMAW RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2000 | 11,150 |
| PICKERING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 11,149 |
| EAST BR. RED CLAY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 11,141 |
| NANTICOKE RIVER | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1920 | 11,140 |
| S BR OF GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 11,135 |
| JORDAN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1932 | 11,127 |
| BAYOU JOE MORCEL | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1994 | 11,126 |
| WYOMISSING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1931 | 11,125 |
| WHITE RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1950 | 11,120 |
| HUNTER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 11,105 |
| FOUR MILE BROOK | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 11,100 |
| RABBIT RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1935 | 11,100 |
| MAKAUA STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 11,100 |
| FRENCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 11,100 |
| N PUNALUU STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1926 | 11,100 |
| CHISHOLM CREEK TRIB. | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 2007 | 11,043 |
| BLAIR GAP RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 11,038 |
| BLACKBIRD CREEK | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 11,021 |
| BLACKBIRD CREEK | Delaware | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1920 | 11,020 |
| PAW PAW CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 11,016 |
| HARPETH RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1962 | 11,007 |
| SNAKE RIVER;HOMEDALE BR. | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 11,000 |
| SAN BENITO RIVER | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1959 | 11,000 |
| NOJOQUI CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1956 | 11,000 |
| S.FORK CATAWBA RIVER | North Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 11,000 |
| NOJOQUI CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1956 | 11,000 |
| MYSTIC RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1922 | 11,000 |
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.