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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOBBS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2004 | 30 |
| BEAR CREEK TRIB | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 30 |
| BRANCH OF CAMP CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2002 | 30 |
| SALT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1990 | 30 |
| BIG HARTS CREEK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1984 | 30 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1999 | 30 |
| MUD FORK | West Virginia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2002 | 30 |
| SOUTH FISH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2017 | 30 |
| BRANCH SOUTH FISH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1988 | 30 |
| N. BR. WHITEFACE RIVER | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1967 | 30 |
| CORNER CREEK | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1954 | 29 |
| BRANCH DRY VALLEY CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1991 | 29 |
| WILLAWALLA CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2008 | 29 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1925 | 28 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1928 | 28 |
| DRAW | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2009 | 28 |
| RUSH CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1997 | 28 |
| BIG STREAM | New York | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 27 |
| ROCK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1995 | 27 |
| BUCK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1991 | 27 |
| CHINA CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2003 | 26 |
| SULFUR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 26 |
| LITTLE BRAZOS RIVER | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 26 |
| ALLIGATOR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2014 | 26 |
| WHITE ROCK CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2016 | 26 |
| BRADEN BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1996 | 26 |
| LONG KING CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 2004 | 26 |
| PLUM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 26 |
| GROVE CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 25 |
| W HARGILL DRAIN DITCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1974 | 25 |
| NORTH ELM CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 25 |
| WILLIAMS CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2000 | 25 |
| BARREL SPRING CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1999 | 25 |
| Flat Creek | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 25 |
| Rocky Branch | Illinois | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 1992 | 25 |
| SPRING BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2011 | 25 |
| SALLY BRANCH | Georgia | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2008 | 25 |
| SALT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2007 | 25 |
| BRANCH BROOKEEN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2012 | 25 |
| BACHELOR CREEK REL | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2024 | 25 |
| BRIAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2010 | 25 |
| SALT CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1995 | 25 |
| MAYFIELD BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2005 | 25 |
| SWAN RIVER | Minnesota | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Poor | 1917 | 25 |
| BRANCH OF DELTA RIVER | Alaska | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 25 |
| Stream | Alabama | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2023 | 25 |
| CLEAR CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1997 | 25 |
| BRANCH DELTA RIVER | Alaska | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Good | 2022 | 25 |
| MOUNTAIN CREEK | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 1995 | 24 |
| RED BRANCH | Texas | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective | Fair | 2007 | 24 |
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.