Scour around bridge piers is one of the main causes for bridge failure. Unfortunately, models
for accurate and robust predictions of scour levels are presently not available. In such conditions, real time
monitoring of scour depths appears as the only possibility to reduce uncertainties in risk evaluations during
flood events. A monitoring system for a river bridge has been recently developed and installed on a critical
bridge in Italy, thanks to collaboration between Politecnico di Milano and Provincia di Mantova. The system
is located on a bridge at river Po, with the aim of measuring the real-time scour depth close to the bridge
piers. A variety of significant parameters has been recorded, taking care of their quality assessment: scour
depths, accumulation of debris upstream of the pier, wind intensity and water level. In the paper the monitoring
system is described and first results are discussed.