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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MYSTIC RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1922 | 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 |
| BLACK WARRIOR BR | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1972 | 10,997 |
| LITTLE WALLA WALLA RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 10,992 |
| JORDAN RIVER | Utah | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 10,981 |
| S BR BAD RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1977 | 10,976 |
| N BR BAD RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 10,976 |
| LITTLE AQUASHICOLA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1922 | 10,968 |
| BEAVER RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1920 | 10,965 |
| MORGAN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 10,965 |
| FAWN RIVER (RESERVOIR AR | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1961 | 10,962 |
| Fossil Creek | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1985 | 10,956 |
| RR * BEACHCREEK | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1976 | 10,950 |
| PRAIRIE CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1941 | 10,947 |
| HOG CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 10,926 |
| HOG CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 10,926 |
| SHIAWASSEE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1906 | 10,918 |
| Beaver Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 10,913 |
| TRB CORNELL CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1974 | 10,908 |
| CREEK | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1979 | 10,900 |
| KINGSTON LAKE | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 10,900 |
| SAINT HELENA CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1934 | 10,900 |
| CA%AS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1925 | 10,900 |
| SECA CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 10,900 |
| S BR OF GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 10,893 |
| INDIAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1932 | 10,888 |
| GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 10,885 |
| ST JOHNS DTCH | Missouri | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 10,882 |
| KALAMAZOO RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 10,850 |
| PINE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 10,840 |
| GOFFLE BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1983 | 10,839 |
| HO-HO-KUS BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1899 | 10,838 |
| MAPLE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1955 | 10,831 |
| MAPLE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1988 | 10,831 |
| CLINTON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 10,830 |
| MASONICUS BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1902 | 10,822 |
| TEBO DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1937 | 10,813 |
| CADDELL DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1973 | 10,800 |
| NEPAUG RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1923 | 10,800 |
| MUDDY RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1947 | 10,800 |
| SARVER RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 10,782 |
| NORTH BRANCH SUSQ RIVER | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2000 | 10,761 |
| TAR RIVER | North Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1977 | 10,750 |
| SHERWOOD CREEK | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1952 | 10,739 |
| MOORES RUN | Maryland | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 10,737 |
| HARBER DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 10,737 |
| HARBER DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 10,737 |
| ROSS DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 10,720 |
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.