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
MASON CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2013 500
LITTLE VINCE BAYOU Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2003 500
DETENTION BASIN Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2012 500
HCFCD DITCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2008 500
ALLIGATOR CRK N.MC. Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1962 499
SOUTH SULPHUR REL Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1949 498
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1930 497
HICKORY CRK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1949 496
SPRING CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2002 492
Spring Creek Relief Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1949 492
Short Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1949 492
Spring Creek Relief Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2002 492
POST OAK CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2007 489
SPRING CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1975 485
PINE CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1964 482
WEBB CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1958 482
WEBB CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1958 481
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1960 480
SO FORK LITTLE RED RIVER Arkansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1955 480
TEHUACANA CREEK TRIB Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2016 479
WHEELER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1960 475
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 475
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2023 475
CLEAR CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2007 473
PECAN CREEK RELIEF Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1987 473
PECAN CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1989 473
LITTLE ELK RIVER Wisconsin Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1950 472
MC CLUNG CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1996 471
HENSON CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1966 471
DULANEY CRK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1955 466
DYER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1966 463
FIVE MILE CREEK TRIB Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2000 461
TUSCOLAMETA CANAL SOUTH Mississippi Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1986 460
PANTHER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1952 458
TOWN BRANCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1920 455
INDIAN CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1987 455
NELL CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1949 452
JACOBS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1949 452
LAMPASAS RIVER Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1984 452
CUNDIFF CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1926 451
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1938 450
DUNN CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1991 450
BULL CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1938 450
HAYZLETT FORK West Virginia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1988 450
FUDGES CREEK West Virginia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1929 450
MILLS BRANCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2002 450
ROCKY CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 450
BEAVER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2003 449
TURKEY CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2006 449
CALLFIELD IRRIGATION CNL Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1935 448

Scour Critical Bridges by State

States ranked by number of scour critical bridges.

StateScour CriticalUnaddressedCountermeasuresIneffective
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 — UnaddressedBridge is scour critical with no countermeasures installed. The foundation is vulnerable and no protective action has been taken.
Code 3 — Countermeasures InstalledProtective measures (riprap, sheet piling, etc.) have been installed to reduce scour risk, but the bridge remains classified as scour critical.
Code 6 — Countermeasures IneffectiveProtective 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.