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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caney Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 18,298 |
| DRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1994 | 18,098 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1970 | 17,969 |
| Rogers Gully | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 17,933 |
| HALLS BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 17,900 |
| N/A | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1940 | 17,786 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 17,689 |
| MUD BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2000 | 17,650 |
| MUSTANG BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1935 | 17,630 |
| NORTH FRK OF SOUTH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1979 | 17,591 |
| LITTLE WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1975 | 17,580 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 17,560 |
| Smithers Lake | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 17,432 |
| MUSTANG BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1949 | 17,417 |
| DENTON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1963 | 17,344 |
| BERRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 17,310 |
| BERRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 17,310 |
| BERRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 17,310 |
| BERRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 17,310 |
| Bullhead Slough | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1994 | 17,132 |
| W TRIB #3 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1988 | 17,117 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1975 | 17,116 |
| MAIN SUPPLY CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1986 | 17,115 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1950 | 17,054 |
| Caney Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 17,024 |
| DRAIN | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 17,018 |
| MC GRATH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 17,018 |
| SILVERDALE CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1988 | 17,015 |
| Rattlesnake Slough | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 17,000 |
| IRRIGATION CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1986 | 17,000 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1970 | 16,972 |
| BILOXI BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1949 | 16,952 |
| WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 16,900 |
| CLEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1990 | 16,894 |
| LONG BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1955 | 16,890 |
| Caney Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 16,870 |
| TEN MILE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1971 | 16,771 |
| BRICKHOUSE GULLY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1968 | 16,760 |
| BRICKHOUSE GULLY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1968 | 16,760 |
| HCFCD DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1950 | 16,660 |
| LITTLE WHITE OAK BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1962 | 16,610 |
| MEMORIAL & BUFFALO BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1967 | 16,603 |
| CANEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1989 | 16,563 |
| Resaca de los Fresnos | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1946 | 16,540 |
| STEWART CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1998 | 16,478 |
| HCFCD DITCH C147-00-00 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1995 | 16,401 |
| STEWART CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1970 | 16,370 |
| SPRING CR REL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1990 | 16,177 |
| LITTLE TIMBER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1932 | 16,141 |
| RUBY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1932 | 16,141 |
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.