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
FISH CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1989 10
UNNAMED CREEK Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1982 10
UNNAMED CREEK Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1982 10
UNNAMED CREEK Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1982 10
UNNAMED CREEK Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1980 10
UNNAMED CREEK Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1980 10
BOUNDRY SLOUGH Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2012 10
BOUNDRY SLOUGH Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 2012 10
MEDIO CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2000 10
NO DATA ENTERED Missouri Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2024 10
WANDERERS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 2005 10
BRANCH OF CLEAR CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1991 10
MALLARD CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1995 10
UNKNOWN CREEK New Mexico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2022 10
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1985 10
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1971 10
SANDY CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2001 10
GRASSHOPPER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1999 10
EAST MOUNTAIN CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2009 10
SPRING CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1995 10
SPRING CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1983 10
RIGHT FORK OF PINE CREEK West Virginia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1998 10
MUD FORK West Virginia Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2001 10
RICHLAND CREEK TRIBUTARY Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2008 10
COTTONWOOD CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1991 10
TRIB BRIER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2015 10
ROCKFISH CREEK North Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1970 10
ROCKFISH CREEK North Carolina Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1960 10
PANTHER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2017 9
PANTHER CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2017 9
MIDDLE CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1988 9
SALT CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2002 9
COBB HOLLOW CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 2008 9
BELKNAP CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2007 9
DRAW Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2006 9
CAMP CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1930 9
LONG CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1996 8
WEST BELKNAP CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1986 8
BRANCH DENTON CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 2013 7
BRANCH FARMERS CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1994 7
Fullerton Canal Nebraska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1970 5
Bull Lake Dam Spillway Wyoming Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1938 5
WILDCAT CREEK Kansas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1950 5
SPRING CREEK Iowa Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1946 5
SUKKWAN STRAIT Alaska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1970 5
Red Willow Canal Nebraska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Fair 1970 5
BRANCH DENTON CREEK Texas Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1996 5
UNKNOWN CREEK New Mexico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Poor 1943 5
UNKNOWN CREEK New Mexico Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1943 5
Geranium Canal Nebraska Scour Critical — Countermeasures Ineffective Good 1970 5

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.