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
Potrero Creek Arizona Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1979 6,783
ELLIS RIVER New Hampshire Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1938 6,773
SAW MILL RUN 3255K10 Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1967 6,770
SWALE CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1960 6,760
MENOMINEE RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1981 6,759
PORTNEUF RIVER Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 6,750
PORTNEUF RIVER Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 6,750
LONG CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1973 6,750
Grindy Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1960 6,737
SALMON BROOK Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1947 6,730
VIEKE DITCH Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1967 6,725
VIEKE DITCH Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1967 6,725
Cox Creek Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1940 6,722
BROCK CREEK / 3151-E2 Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 6,721
ZANZABAR CANAL Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1974 6,720
ZANZABAR CANAL Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1974 6,720
MARCUS HOOK CREEK/3806A7 Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1928 6,717
CHARTIERS CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1934 6,711
Cherry Creek Arizona Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1967 6,709
POHATCONG CREEK New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1931 6,708
CHEBOYGAN & BRANCHES DRN Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1939 6,701
ANDERSON CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1933 6,701
WAIKAUMALO STRM Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1952 6,700
HAKALAU STRM Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1953 6,700
MOANALULU STRM Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1956 6,700
KAHOLO STRM Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 6,700
BR SORENSONS CREEK Wisconsin Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1948 6,700
GILLS CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1973 6,700
TRIB TO REEDY RIVER South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1958 6,700
BRUSHY CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1975 6,700
BOISE RIVER(BARBER BR) Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1954 6,700
TRIB TO REEDY RIVER South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1958 6,700
SPANISH CREEK California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1964 6,700
TRIB TO BRUSHY CK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1966 6,700
ROWLETT CREEK BRANCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 2005 6,699
SILVER CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 2003 6,690
OWL CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1966 6,684
GALLINAS RIVER New Mexico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1909 6,684
Agua Fria River Arizona Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1972 6,675
BR.OF EAST BR.WHITE CLAY Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1937 6,672
CEDAR CREEK Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 6,670
E FK WHITE RIVER OVFL Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1990 6,667
WABASH RIVER Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1977 6,650
BROOKER CREEK Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1984 6,649
S BR MACON RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1953 6,646
S PRAIRIE CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1969 6,643
OVER EIGHT MILE CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 6,635
BEAVER BROOK New Hampshire Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1920 6,622
N FORK NEW RIVER Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1925 6,618
CHIPPEWA RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1934 6,611

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.