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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROSS DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 10,720 |
| PALEN DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| BUCARABONES RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 10,700 |
| META DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| META DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| OBAN DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| OBAN DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| MATON RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1886 | 10,700 |
| COPA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| COPA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| PALEN DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| CHESTER CREEK | Alaska | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1985 | 10,700 |
| AZTEC DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| AZTEC DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| TARANTULA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| TARANTULA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| SUTRO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| SUTRO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ALTA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ESSO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| WOLF CREEK | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1980 | 10,700 |
| ESSO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| BEEHIVE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ARCO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| BEEHIVE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ACARI DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ACARI DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| RUBBLE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| CUBUY RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1975 | 10,700 |
| RUBBLE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| ALTA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| DUNCAN CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 10,700 |
| CUBUY RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1970 | 10,700 |
| ARCO DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| MUD DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| MUD DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| WALLA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| WALLA DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 10,700 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1987 | 10,697 |
| FLAT CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1978 | 10,683 |
| KALAMAZOO RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 10,679 |
| KALAMAZOO RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 10,679 |
| MONOCACY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1923 | 10,672 |
| CROOKED CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 10,669 |
| RIVER RAISIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 10,655 |
| HAYNES CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1915 | 10,640 |
| MILL CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 10,635 |
| ELK LAKE CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2024 | 10,633 |
| CREEK | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1993 | 10,625 |
| KREUTZ CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 10,619 |
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.