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
IRONSTONE CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1907 4,748
DRAUGHAN CREEK Louisiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1960 4,745
MUDDY CR Missouri Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1964 4,743
MUDDY CR Missouri Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1977 4,734
MIDDLE BRANCH RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1937 4,730
WALKER CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1962 4,730
MAUCH CHUNK CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1926 4,728
NEWAUKUM CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1928 4,723
ELK RIVER Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1969 4,721
CREEK Louisiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1960 4,719
STONE HILL RIVER New York Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1927 4,712
BETSIE RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1924 4,712
CRAIGS RUN Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1962 4,708
SNAKE RIVER;KEN CURTIS Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 4,700
PORTNEUF RIVER;MCCAMMON Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1963 4,700
MITCHELL SWAMP South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1981 4,700
MITCHELL SWAMP South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1981 4,700
CLAM RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1952 4,700
LARGA CREEK Puerto Rico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1944 4,700
TANAMA RIVER Puerto Rico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1948 4,700
FREEMAN BROOK Vermont Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1929 4,700
ARKANSAS RIVER Colorado Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1967 4,700
MUSKEGON RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1934 4,700
N.FK.PAYETTE RIVER Idaho Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1984 4,700
BEAR CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1929 4,700
FENTON RIVER Connecticut Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1929 4,700
NORTH SPRING LAKE Florida Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1985 4,700
MILL CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 4,699
MILL CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 4,699
MILL CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 4,699
MILL CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1930 4,699
SHEETS CREEK Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1935 4,697
WOOD RIVER Rhode Island Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 4,691
CAMPBELL CREEK NB RAMP Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1981 4,690
PINEY BRANCH Maryland Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1935 4,689
TIN BROOK New York Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1994 4,678
PUGET SOUND @ PT VASHON Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1997 4,675
PAUKAUILA STREAM Hawaii Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1971 4,674
OCONOMOWOC RIVER Wisconsin Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1910 4,664
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1961 4,660
E BR PIGEON RIVER Michigan Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1940 4,658
PENNYPACK CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Poor 1932 4,653
LAST CHANCE DITCH California Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1918 4,650
CROSSWICKS CREEK New Jersey Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1980 4,645
DRAIN Louisiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1968 4,643
RIDLEY CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1927 4,643
MISSISSINEWA RIVER Indiana Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1983 4,641
MAHONING CREEK Pennsylvania Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1938 4,633
KNOWLES CREEK Oregon Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Fair 1958 4,630
DEER CREEK Washington Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed Good 1972 4,618

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.