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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W FORK CHOC BYU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2007 | 280 |
| TRIB WEST FK TRINITY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2005 | 280 |
| BIG PINE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1996 | 278 |
| DRAIN | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 277 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2008 | 277 |
| ONSTOTT CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 277 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 277 |
| TURKEY CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1960 | 277 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1970 | 277 |
| BEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1986 | 276 |
| BRANCH OF SUCK CREEK | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 275 |
| CUTHAND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 273 |
| STOCKVILLE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1921 | 273 |
| CUTHAND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 273 |
| CUTHAND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1990 | 273 |
| CRADDOCK CR | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1967 | 272 |
| PRESSOR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1967 | 272 |
| E FORK BIG CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1962 | 272 |
| SOUTH MYRTLE CREEK | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 272 |
| SAND SPRING CREEK | New Mexico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1936 | 272 |
| PITTMAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1979 | 271 |
| PLUM HOLLOW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1964 | 270 |
| ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 270 |
| DRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1997 | 269 |
| TURKEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 269 |
| COFFEE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1967 | 268 |
| VALLEY CREEK | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1924 | 268 |
| ROWDY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1962 | 265 |
| Salt Flats | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 263 |
| RUSH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1987 | 262 |
| NORTH SULPHUR RIVER REL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1949 | 262 |
| MORRISON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1963 | 262 |
| ROWDY CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1963 | 262 |
| ROWDY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1983 | 262 |
| DENTON CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1988 | 262 |
| N SULPHUR RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1949 | 261 |
| Prairie Creek Seb. Co. | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1976 | 259 |
| LITTLE RUSH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2013 | 258 |
| WATER GILDER PND OUTFLOW | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1970 | 258 |
| MADDOX BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1960 | 258 |
| BOIS DARC CREEK RELIEF | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1994 | 258 |
| BOIS DARC CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1994 | 258 |
| INDIAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1930 | 255 |
| ROWLETT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2009 | 255 |
| MOOSE CREEK | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 254 |
| E FORK GOOSE CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1989 | 252 |
| GREENS BAYOU | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 252 |
| ONSTOTT CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1948 | 252 |
| DRY RUN | Maryland | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1950 | 252 |
| Rose Creek | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1984 | 252 |
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.