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
NORTH HAYES CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2007 150
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1935 150
COAL CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2011 150
MILLER FORK West Virginia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2017 150
Hacker Creek Arkansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1979 150
La Moine River Illinois Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2003 150
Verde Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2022 150
LYNN CRK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1965 150
BRAZOS RIVER DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1970 150
BESSIES CREEK DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2003 150
SPRING CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1992 148
EAST MAIN DRAIN Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1969 148
Wanderers Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1964 148
WILLAWALLA CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1993 146
BRANCH OF SALT CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1991 144
TRIB COTTONWOOD CRK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1987 141
HARMON RD/CHAPPEL CREEK Ohio Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 140
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2016 140
BRUSH CREEK CANAL Utah Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 140
BRANCH FARMERS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1985 140
BESSIES CREEK DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2009 140
PETERS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1959 139
EVAS KILL New York Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 137
WILLIAMS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1990 137
Sandy Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1992 137
BRALLEY POOL CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2002 137
SALT CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2008 136
COLEMAN CREEK Arkansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2006 136
BERRY CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1996 135
White Oak Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2013 134
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1967 134
White Oak Creek Relief Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2013 134
Stouts Creek Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2011 134
COWSKIN CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2005 133
VILLAGE CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1952 133
LAKE CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1996 131
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1940 130
PECAN CREEK RELIEF Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2000 130
POST OAK CREEK BRANCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2009 130
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2007 130
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1952 129
WATER CROCKER POND INLET Massachusetts Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2005 129
MOORES BRANCH Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2007 128
Draw Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 127
LITTLE CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2023 125
TRIB TO SHANNON CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2023 125
OPOSSUM BRANCH South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2023 125
WATER ARNOLDS BROOK Massachusetts Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2015 125
ROCKY CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2022 125
TRIB TO SHANNON CREEK South Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2023 125

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.