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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SACONY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1911 | 7,077 |
| PIDCOCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1935 | 7,075 |
| NORTH RUN | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1900 | 7,062 |
| BIG BLUE RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1943 | 7,059 |
| PASCACK BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 7,057 |
| BOOTS CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1994 | 7,055 |
| SMOKY HILL RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 7,050 |
| SMOKY HILL RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1966 | 7,050 |
| MARTINS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1911 | 7,047 |
| BRANCH | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 7,042 |
| BIG EAGLE CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1993 | 7,040 |
| SQUILCHUCK CREEK | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1954 | 7,038 |
| Slate Run Creek | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 7,037 |
| Shark River | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1932 | 7,029 |
| LITTLE BUSHKILL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1929 | 7,017 |
| Granite Creek | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1921 | 7,000 |
| COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 7,000 |
| HUERFANO RIVER | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 7,000 |
| TROUT CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1965 | 7,000 |
| COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 7,000 |
| GUNNISON RIVER | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1980 | 7,000 |
| S 5750;PINE CR;PINEHURST | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 7,000 |
| WINTERGREEN BROOK | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 7,000 |
| BRUSH HOLLOW CREEK | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 7,000 |
| S 5750;PINE CR;PINEHURST | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 7,000 |
| WEST BRANCH TROUT BROOK | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1916 | 7,000 |
| LAPWAI CREEK | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 7,000 |
| LAPWAI CREEK | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 7,000 |
| JOBITOS CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1958 | 7,000 |
| CAT TAIL RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 6,999 |
| BROAD RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 6,997 |
| Small Wash | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1900 | 6,995 |
| PROCTOR CREEK | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 6,993 |
| TRIB. SAUCON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1953 | 6,993 |
| SAUCON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 6,993 |
| CHERRY CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1952 | 6,982 |
| BITTERROOT RIVER | Montana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 6,979 |
| DEER CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1920 | 6,976 |
| RUSSIA BROOK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1900 | 6,975 |
| MILL CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1930 | 6,971 |
| Small Wash | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 6,968 |
| LOUSE CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 6,962 |
| E FORK WHITEWATER RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 6,960 |
| FLAT FORK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1935 | 6,957 |
| RAMBIN BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2000 | 6,956 |
| BUCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1931 | 6,954 |
| KEEGANS BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 6,954 |
| MILES PINE CREEK | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1983 | 6,950 |
| RICKEY DITCH OVERFLOW | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1965 | 6,950 |
| FIVE MILE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 6,947 |
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.