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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERFLOW | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 9,555 |
| S. FK. FORKED DEER RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1959 | 9,555 |
| S. FK. FORKED DEER RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1959 | 9,555 |
| WHITE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 9,550 |
| WHITE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 9,550 |
| COUSINS RIVER | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 9,550 |
| MALHEUR RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1973 | 9,549 |
| MALHEUR RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 9,549 |
| PINE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 9,548 |
| SANDY CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 9,543 |
| PLEASANT RUN | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1920 | 9,543 |
| DEEPKILL CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1934 | 9,527 |
| MUSSEL FK | Missouri | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1951 | 9,524 |
| SALINE CR | Missouri | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 9,523 |
| PAINT ROCK RIVER | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 9,523 |
| MUSKINGUM CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 9,522 |
| SATILLA RIVER | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1988 | 9,510 |
| SPRING MILL CREEK/3368E8 | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 9,504 |
| SLATE CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 9,503 |
| SLATE CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 9,503 |
| MIDDLE THOROFARE | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1939 | 9,502 |
| HOUSATONIC RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1918 | 9,500 |
| COLORADO RIVER | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1950 | 9,500 |
| BLACK CREEK | Mississippi | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 9,500 |
| BLACK CREEK | Mississippi | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 9,500 |
| S.FK.COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 9,500 |
| S.FK.COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 9,500 |
| LOS FRAILES CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1999 | 9,500 |
| GALE DITCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 9,500 |
| SPENCER RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 9,491 |
| PENNY POT LAKE | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1961 | 9,491 |
| SALINE CR | Missouri | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 9,485 |
| WHITE ROCK CK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1986 | 9,483 |
| WATSON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 9,476 |
| KAMANAIKI STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 9,470 |
| HENDRICKS CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 9,450 |
| TROWBRIDGE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 9,450 |
| HENDRICKS CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 9,450 |
| RED CEDAR RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1972 | 9,450 |
| MOTT CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 9,430 |
| LITTLE DESCHUTES RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1975 | 9,426 |
| STILLWATER RESERVOIR | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1932 | 9,419 |
| BLACK RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1991 | 9,408 |
| BOGUE FALAYA | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1993 | 9,408 |
| HAMPTON RIVER | New Hampshire | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1949 | 9,402 |
| CHICKAMAUGA CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1983 | 9,401 |
| GANDEL CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1884 | 9,400 |
| Granite Creek | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1924 | 9,396 |
| CEDAR BRANCH | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 9,392 |
| WABASIS CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 9,376 |
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.