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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PARKER CREEK NO 3 | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1968 | 174 |
| RED OAK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1995 | 174 |
| Poteau River | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1976 | 173 |
| FOUNTAIN CREEK TRIBUTARY | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2003 | 173 |
| BRANCH OF ROCK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1941 | 173 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2013 | 171 |
| CANEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2001 | 170 |
| Picosa Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 170 |
| Drainage Ditch | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 170 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2000 | 170 |
| Palarm Creek | Arkansas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2003 | 170 |
| TIMBER CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1967 | 170 |
| WEST CANEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1967 | 170 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1956 | 169 |
| WILLOWOAK CRK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 169 |
| WILDCAT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1956 | 169 |
| BIG SANDY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1975 | 169 |
| BRUSHY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 2003 | 168 |
| TURKEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1968 | 168 |
| SCOTT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1986 | 164 |
| Old West Main Drain | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 163 |
| PINE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1953 | 163 |
| WANDERERS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 163 |
| HUFFSTUTTLE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1954 | 163 |
| PALUXY RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1980 | 162 |
| DRY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 160 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1981 | 160 |
| CYPRESS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2002 | 160 |
| LAKE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1990 | 159 |
| ROCK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1990 | 158 |
| CUTHAND CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2006 | 157 |
| BOULDER RIVER | Montana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1940 | 157 |
| BOGGY CREEK SLOUGH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 157 |
| BRANCH BRUSHY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1993 | 157 |
| BOGGY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1951 | 157 |
| WEST BR. CONCORD RIVER | Maine | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1938 | 155 |
| W FORK JERNIGAN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1956 | 154 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1927 | 154 |
| MUSTANG CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2012 | 152 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1986 | 152 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 152 |
| La Moine River | Illinois | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2003 | 150 |
| SULPHUR SPRINGS FORK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2015 | 150 |
| BUFFALO CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2005 | 150 |
| HONDO CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 150 |
| Verde Creek | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 150 |
| BESSIES CREEK DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2003 | 150 |
| NORTH HAYES CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2007 | 150 |
| RIGHT FK NINEMILE CK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1984 | 150 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1935 | 150 |
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.