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.
| 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.