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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELTON DITCH | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1959 | 3,278 |
| BIG SANDY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2000 | 3,278 |
| N FK LITTLE BUTTE CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 3,276 |
| CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 3,275 |
| PATRICK CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1951 | 3,275 |
| CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 3,275 |
| CHOUDRANT CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 3,275 |
| BROWNLEE CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1951 | 3,275 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 3,268 |
| BRANCH MILLERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1942 | 3,268 |
| SANDY CR | Missouri | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1940 | 3,266 |
| ROW RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 3,263 |
| SEALS GULLY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 3,261 |
| SUGAR CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 3,260 |
| CLEAR CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1952 | 3,256 |
| SECRET RAVINE | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1970 | 3,256 |
| TRAIL CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 3,256 |
| LITTLE BLUE RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1988 | 3,248 |
| FLAT CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 3,248 |
| KISTATOM CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1941 | 3,247 |
| LINK RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 3,241 |
| INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 3,240 |
| WAHOO CREEK N FK TRIB | Nebraska | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1924 | 3,240 |
| CEDAR CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 3,239 |
| MUD CREEK | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1947 | 3,235 |
| Blackland Gully | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1991 | 3,233 |
| PAWNEE RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 3,232 |
| SHIP HBR/GUEMES CHANNEL | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1959 | 3,227 |
| SHIP HBR/GUEMES CHANNEL | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,227 |
| CHARLESTON RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1935 | 3,221 |
| DRY BRANCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1976 | 3,220 |
| PINCONNING RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1995 | 3,218 |
| E FORK BIRCH CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1940 | 3,218 |
| N BRANCH FLINT RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1965 | 3,217 |
| TRIB W BR CODORUS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1940 | 3,216 |
| Sebastian Inlet | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1964 | 3,214 |
| AROOSTOOK RIVER | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1980 | 3,210 |
| EAST COW CREEK | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1986 | 3,207 |
| EAST COW CREEK OVERFLOW | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1986 | 3,207 |
| BR ONTONAGON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1953 | 3,202 |
| N FK S LITTLEJOHNS CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1954 | 3,202 |
| BLOOMING GROVE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 3,201 |
| ROCKY CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,200 |
| Ile Des Cannes Coulee | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 3,200 |
| MIDDLE CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,200 |
| Canal 068 | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1952 | 3,200 |
| SALMON FALLS CRK | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 3,200 |
| TRIB TO MACHINE CK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1967 | 3,200 |
| S.FK.COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 3,200 |
| EL CHORRO CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1925 | 3,200 |
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.