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
BIG BRUSHY CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 7,450
SUWANNEE RIVER Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 7,450
KALAMAZOO RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1908 7,449
PESHASTIN CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1940 7,446
PESHASTIN CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1962 7,446
ST JOSEPH RIVER Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1970 7,436
MUSQUAPSINK BROOK New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1936 7,432
FLEMMING CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1981 7,431
PARIS CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1929 7,428
HONEY CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1936 7,419
Courtney Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1983 7,403
EDSON BROOK Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1950 7,400
ROCKY CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 7,400
SOUTH TYGER RIVER South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1940 7,400
CEDAR CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 7,400
Spruce Creek Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1962 7,400
Canal C-100-A Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1966 7,400
MISSION CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 7,374
BLACK DITCH CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1953 7,372
WATER ABBOTT RUN RIVER Massachusetts Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1850 7,370
BIG OX CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1995 7,352
FROG CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1973 7,350
FROG CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1973 7,350
RIV RR PWRHS RD PASS RD Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1978 7,343
RIV RR PWRHS RD PASS RD Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1979 7,343
Senecal Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1985 7,340
SO.BR RANCOCAS CREEK New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1918 7,337
OVER SIXTEEN MILE CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1941 7,330
OPPOSSUM RUN Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1947 7,326
OVER MAHONING CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1963 7,321
NORFOLK SO. RR. Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1926 7,316
NECANICUM RIVER Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 7,315
MAMARONECK RIVER New York Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1910 7,311
PUGET SOUND @ PT VASHON Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1957 7,310
Butte Creek Oflow Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1969 7,302
S.FK.PAYETTE RIVER Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1955 7,300
Intracoastal Waterway Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1949 7,300
EAST ASPETUCK RIVER Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1931 7,300
SALMON RIVER;SALMON BR. Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1926 7,300
TRIBUTARY TO TROUT RIVER Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1986 7,300
HIGHLANDS CREEK Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1986 7,300
MAD RIVER Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 7,300
BIG SOOS CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1931 7,293
BULL CREEK Georgia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1959 7,290
ROGUE RIVER (WEDDERBURN) Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 7,286
LITTLE SAND CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1972 7,285
BROWNS BRANCH Delaware Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1922 7,277
CHEBOYGAN RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1940 7,273
CAGUITAS RIVER Puerto Rico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 2004 7,260
Rogue River Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1942 7,259

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.