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.

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.