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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVER WARRIOR RUN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1925 | 4,456 |
| E FK WHITE RIVER OVFL | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1981 | 4,454 |
| YAHARA RIVER | Wisconsin | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1934 | 4,450 |
| W. BR. SCHUYLKILL RIVER | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 4,450 |
| ELK RIVER | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 4,450 |
| MILL CREEK | Illinois | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1932 | 4,450 |
| ASOTIN CREEK | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1956 | 4,450 |
| LITTLE WABASH RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 4,449 |
| LITTLE RICHLAND CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 4,449 |
| TULPEHOCKEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 4,439 |
| OVER FISHING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 4,430 |
| EAST FORK WHITE RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1970 | 4,426 |
| FALL CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 4,424 |
| KLACKING CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1936 | 4,423 |
| TITTABAWASSEE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1947 | 4,422 |
| FISHEATING CREEK | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 4,409 |
| PLEASANT RIVER | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 4,408 |
| CHOCTAW CREEK | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1938 | 4,408 |
| CANOVANAS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1947 | 4,400 |
| OLUSTEE CREEK | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 4,400 |
| DRY CREEK | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 4,400 |
| McKAY CREEK | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1995 | 4,400 |
| CURRY CREEK | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1991 | 4,400 |
| FREEMAN GULCH | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1947 | 4,400 |
| TRIB MUDDY CREEEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2006 | 4,400 |
| PITAHAYA RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1945 | 4,400 |
| ALAMITOS CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1976 | 4,400 |
| SANDY CREEK | Mississippi | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1983 | 4,400 |
| KNOWLTON BROOK | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 4,400 |
| CAIMITAL CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 4,400 |
| PITAHAYA RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1950 | 4,400 |
| OSWEGO CANAL | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1934 | 4,400 |
| WHITE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1970 | 4,400 |
| ELK RIVER | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 4,400 |
| Sharps Run | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 4,395 |
| PINE RUN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1937 | 4,394 |
| COAL CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1980 | 4,391 |
| MIANUS RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1935 | 4,390 |
| MILL RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1946 | 4,386 |
| RAYSTOWN BR.JUNIATA RIV. | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1937 | 4,386 |
| LITTLE CEDAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 4,383 |
| HATCHEL CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1950 | 4,380 |
| SWAN CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1918 | 4,379 |
| ROCK CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1981 | 4,371 |
| ELM CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1980 | 4,371 |
| JONES CREEK | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 4,370 |
| CHEMUNG RIVER | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1988 | 4,369 |
| BAYOU CLEAR | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 4,368 |
| CANYON CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1921 | 4,363 |
| SWIFTWATER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1956 | 4,360 |
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.