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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWARTZ CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1969 | 33,600 |
| GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1929 | 33,588 |
| Santiam Overflow No. 2 | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1994 | 33,486 |
| MILL CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 33,463 |
| MILL CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1961 | 33,463 |
| Santiam Overflow No. 3 | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 33,446 |
| Santiam Overflow No. 4 | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1958 | 33,446 |
| Santiam Overflow No. 3 | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1994 | 33,446 |
| Santiam Overflow No. 4 | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1994 | 33,446 |
| CLACKAMAS RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1933 | 33,434 |
| S CHANNEL GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1957 | 33,375 |
| S CHANNEL GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1931 | 33,375 |
| LICK RUN | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1992 | 33,248 |
| PLEASANT RUN CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1991 | 33,232 |
| WEST PASSAGE NARRA BAY | Rhode Island | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 33,100 |
| Intracoastal Waterway | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1985 | 33,007 |
| SPRING CREEK | Colorado | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 33,000 |
| KALIHI STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1957 | 33,000 |
| KALIHI STRM | Hawaii | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1957 | 33,000 |
| I-465 EB/WB LICK CR | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1962 | 32,999 |
| WHITE RIVER | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1948 | 32,885 |
| MILLSTONE RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1936 | 32,880 |
| DORCHEAT BAYOU | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 32,869 |
| DORCHEAR BAYOU REL | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1992 | 32,869 |
| LA PLATA RIVER | Puerto Rico | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1971 | 32,850 |
| WATER NEPONSET RIVER | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1765 | 32,845 |
| PENNYPACK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Poor | 1968 | 32,800 |
| TONQUISH CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1926 | 32,679 |
| LOPATCONG CREEK | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1938 | 32,531 |
| MARKET AVE & GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1963 | 32,500 |
| MARKET AVE & GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1963 | 32,500 |
| HACKENSACK RIVER | New Jersey | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 32,446 |
| MILL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1956 | 32,446 |
| BUFFALO CREEK | North Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 32,250 |
| BUFFALO CREEK | North Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1973 | 32,250 |
| INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY | Florida | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1979 | 32,250 |
| WILLAMETTE RIVER | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1910 | 32,243 |
| COMB ACUS RIV/LOC ST/RR | Massachusetts | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1901 | 32,200 |
| W.BRANCH RED CLAY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 32,115 |
| WARDS CREEK | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1967 | 32,092 |
| CITY STREETS | Louisiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1969 | 32,092 |
| SAVANNAH RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1976 | 32,050 |
| SAVANNAH RIVER | South Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1976 | 32,050 |
| Owl Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1965 | 32,045 |
| MCALPINE CREEK | North Carolina | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Good | 1979 | 32,000 |
| S. CHICKAMAUGA CREEK | Tennessee | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1960 | 31,976 |
| ACCESS ROAD SILVER CR. | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 31,972 |
| JACOBS CREEK | Indiana | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1972 | 31,972 |
| Mill Creek | Oregon | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1930 | 31,897 |
| PLUM CREEK | Michigan | Scour Critical — Countermeasures Installed | Fair | 1955 | 31,883 |
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.