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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEISER RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 3,200 |
| MUD CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1962 | 3,200 |
| ASPETUCK RIVER | Connecticut | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 3,200 |
| ROCKY CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,200 |
| NOTTAWA CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1931 | 3,200 |
| MIDDLE CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,200 |
| INDIAN CR | Washington | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 3,200 |
| HORNBUCKLE CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 3,200 |
| Canal 068 | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1952 | 3,200 |
| S.FK.COEUR DALENE RIVER | Idaho | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 3,200 |
| TRIB TO MACHINE CK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1967 | 3,200 |
| SALMON FALLS CRK | Nevada | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 3,200 |
| Canal 071 | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1953 | 3,200 |
| EL CHORRO CREEK | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1925 | 3,200 |
| Ile Des Cannes Coulee | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 3,200 |
| Beaver Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1968 | 3,196 |
| CIWA CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1970 | 3,195 |
| MILL CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1989 | 3,193 |
| LITTLE ARKANSAS RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 3,191 |
| LITTLE APPLEGATE RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2006 | 3,191 |
| CANAL | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 2017 | 3,191 |
| SHOUPS RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1989 | 3,190 |
| OLIVER CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1954 | 3,189 |
| LITTLE COMITE RIVER | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1951 | 3,188 |
| PIGEON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1939 | 3,188 |
| ASHAWAY RIVER | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1950 | 3,184 |
| WILSON RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 3,183 |
| SOUTH BRANCH MIDDLE CRK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1927 | 3,182 |
| FARMERS HIGHLINE CANAL | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 3,182 |
| PORTAGE RIVER DRAIN | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1939 | 3,180 |
| US 36 LTL RACCOON CR R | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 3,177 |
| Maxey Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 2003 | 3,175 |
| PETERS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1956 | 3,168 |
| MIDDLE BRANCH RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1939 | 3,158 |
| I.C.W.W | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 3,157 |
| MC LAUGHLIN RUN | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1935 | 3,155 |
| GUADALUPE RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 3,153 |
| SANTA PAULA CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1969 | 3,150 |
| INDIAN SPRINGS | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1911 | 3,150 |
| DIXON DITCH | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 3,144 |
| MACON RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1947 | 3,140 |
| MCCLURE CREEK | California | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1918 | 3,140 |
| US 36 LTL RACCOON CR R | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1974 | 3,139 |
| COUGAR CREEK | Montana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1964 | 3,139 |
| OVERFLOW | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1939 | 3,134 |
| CREEK | Oklahoma | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1960 | 3,132 |
| LOOSAHATCHIE RIVER | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1960 | 3,132 |
| PENDLETON CREEK | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1990 | 3,130 |
| KANSAS RIVER | Kansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1965 | 3,128 |
| FLAT RIVER | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1978 | 3,124 |
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.