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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRANCH | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 4,351 |
| SPRING CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1949 | 4,351 |
| Sutton Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 4,351 |
| TRACE CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1935 | 4,347 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 4,342 |
| PINE RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1966 | 4,342 |
| W BR MUSKEGON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1931 | 4,338 |
| WEST BRANCH CROTON RIVER | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2023 | 4,333 |
| ZARZAMORA CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1988 | 4,328 |
| FARMERS HIGHLINE CANAL | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 4,326 |
| DUGDEMONA RIVER RELIEF | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1996 | 4,317 |
| Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 4,311 |
| NEOSHO RIVER &LOCAL RD | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1984 | 4,309 |
| Stronghold Wash | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 4,308 |
| Dry Wash | Arizona | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 4,308 |
| OVERFLOW | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1983 | 4,305 |
| JACKSON CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1931 | 4,302 |
| BR ROOT RIVER | Wisconsin | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 4,300 |
| TOWN CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 4,300 |
| FROHAWK CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 4,300 |
| MANISTIQUE RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1983 | 4,300 |
| TRIB TO S TYGER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1975 | 4,300 |
| ABBOTT RUN | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2020 | 4,300 |
| USABON RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1908 | 4,300 |
| SONOMA CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 4,300 |
| SEWICKLEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1987 | 4,300 |
| SPRUCE SWAMP CREEK | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 4,300 |
| SAN JOAQUIN RIVER | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1952 | 4,300 |
| HONOKAHUA STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1986 | 4,300 |
| QUINEBAUG RIVER & CANAL | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 4,300 |
| BOGGY BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1969 | 4,294 |
| Three Rivers | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 4,294 |
| BOGGY BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 4,294 |
| BUCHANAN BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 4,294 |
| CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 4,294 |
| FOSTORIA DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1974 | 4,293 |
| RAYMPH DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1940 | 4,293 |
| ATTOYAC RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1934 | 4,292 |
| SALMON CR | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 4,290 |
| ROARING BROOK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1958 | 4,290 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1930 | 4,289 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER DRAINAGE | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1984 | 4,289 |
| LITTLE WABASH RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1950 | 4,288 |
| ROBINSON BRANCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1949 | 4,275 |
| PASS CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1981 | 4,275 |
| MILL STREAM | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 4,273 |
| MILL STREAM | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 4,273 |
| SILVER CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 4,272 |
| Bogue Creek Relief | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1928 | 4,271 |
| WATER E TEMPLTN PND OTLT | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 4,267 |
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.