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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAPPINGER CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 897 |
| WILLOW BROOK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 897 |
| CALF CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1991 | 895 |
| BRUSHY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1991 | 895 |
| CHOCTAW CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1949 | 895 |
| TAYLOR BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 892 |
| N FLOODWAY PILOT CHANNEL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1956 | 891 |
| RATTLESNAKE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1991 | 888 |
| MCNATT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1950 | 886 |
| LONE STAR CROSSING | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 882 |
| ALLEN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1936 | 881 |
| BERRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 880 |
| HORSE CREEK | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 870 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2003 | 869 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2000 | 864 |
| ELM FORK TRINITY RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1986 | 861 |
| MOORE HOLLOW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1941 | 860 |
| CANEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 860 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1964 | 858 |
| SMITH BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1940 | 855 |
| COUCHER CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 850 |
| RT FK OF BUFFALO CREEK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1988 | 850 |
| Big Two Mile Creek | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2013 | 850 |
| SABINE RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1992 | 847 |
| BEE BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1954 | 844 |
| DRY ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2016 | 843 |
| BERGER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1951 | 843 |
| CANEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1976 | 842 |
| SHOOTER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1966 | 838 |
| CCID #1 DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2010 | 838 |
| HAMMOND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1962 | 837 |
| EAST CADDO CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1982 | 830 |
| BRUSHY ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1965 | 826 |
| BRANCH OF CUTHAND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 826 |
| TONKAWA CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1950 | 824 |
| SOUTH PARK LAKE | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 822 |
| CHOCTAW CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1963 | 820 |
| BOIS DARC CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1985 | 819 |
| BRADEN BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1962 | 817 |
| DENTON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1962 | 817 |
| LOW LINE CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 816 |
| BRUSHY ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1957 | 815 |
| SANDY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 811 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1956 | 811 |
| TRIB FRENCH CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 805 |
| WILLACY MAIN CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1956 | 805 |
| AUDS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1954 | 804 |
| DITCH NO 31 | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 803 |
| GUYANDOTTE RIVER | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2000 | 800 |
| BEAR BRANCH TRIBUTARY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1992 | 800 |
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.