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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YORK CREEK TRIBUTARY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 592 |
| CHUPADORA CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 591 |
| TRIB OF TEN MILE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1985 | 590 |
| CREEK | Ohio | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 588 |
| PECAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 586 |
| CLICK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1951 | 586 |
| HICKORY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 586 |
| CROSS TIMBER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2013 | 586 |
| WEST BRUSHY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 585 |
| WOLF CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1974 | 585 |
| MILL CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1965 | 580 |
| SANDERS CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 580 |
| DOZIER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1943 | 578 |
| PARADISE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1939 | 577 |
| KICKAPOO CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1987 | 577 |
| LITTLE VINCE BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1997 | 575 |
| LITTLE VINCE BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1974 | 575 |
| SPRING CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1998 | 574 |
| GILBERT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1962 | 570 |
| WILLIAM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2010 | 570 |
| RICH CREEK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1988 | 565 |
| MIDGET CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 565 |
| VADEN CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1995 | 564 |
| POST OAK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1961 | 560 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2002 | 560 |
| Mays Branch | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2000 | 560 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1964 | 558 |
| NOLAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1969 | 552 |
| NOLAN CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1969 | 552 |
| CANEY CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 551 |
| LITTLE ROCKY CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 550 |
| BIG CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 550 |
| EAST ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 550 |
| E. CADDO CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1960 | 550 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1980 | 549 |
| N FLOODWAY PILOT CHANNEL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1979 | 547 |
| WILLACY MAIN CANAL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1979 | 547 |
| AUDS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 546 |
| AUDS CRK RELIEF NO 1 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1980 | 546 |
| AUDS CREEK RELIEF 2 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1980 | 546 |
| BRIER CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1925 | 543 |
| STOUTS CREEK SLOUGH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1925 | 543 |
| STOUTS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1925 | 543 |
| STOUTS CREEK SLOUGH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1925 | 543 |
| CLEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 540 |
| Side drain | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1974 | 540 |
| Side drain | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1974 | 540 |
| San Pedro Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 540 |
| CLEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 538 |
| RIO BR ELM FORK TRIN RVR | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1957 | 538 |
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.