Bridge Project Development Manual: Highway Bridge Program

Section 2: Highway Bridge Program

Overview

A limited amount of federal Highway Bridge Program funds is appropriated to the states for the specific purpose of replacing or rehabilitating structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges on public highways, roads, and streets. The program applies to deficient existing structures of bridge definition and classification that carry highway vehicular traffic. Federal Highway Bridge Program funds can be used on both on-system and off-system bridges. The program is administered in accordance with Title 23, USC, Part 144 (23 USC 144) and Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations (23 CFR 650 Subpart D) and is authorized and funded by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The federal-aid project designator used for bridge replacement and bridge rehabilitation is BR.

In administering the Highway Bridge Program, TxDOT typically operates under the definition of “bridge” as provided in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 650.403(a). The CFR definition of a bridge is:

...a structure including supports erected over a depression or an obstruction, such as water, highway or railway, and having a track or passageway for carrying traffic or other moving loads, and having an opening measured along the center of the roadway of more than 20 feet between undercopings of abutments or spring lines of arches, or extreme ends of openings for multiple boxes; it may also include multiple pipes where the clear distance between openings is less than half of the smaller contiguous opening.

The CFR definition of a bridge allows for the inclusion of multiple pipe structures. However, because multiple pipe structures are usually subject only to gradual and very localized collapse, TxDOT normally does not inventory or include such structures in the bridge inspection database or address them under the Highway Bridge Program unless the multiple pipes are 60 inches or more in diameter.

In appropriating Highway Bridge Program funds to the states, federal law requires that at least 15% of the funds be used on projects located on non-federal-aid highways. Non-federal-aid highways are those classified as local or rural minor collectors within the overall highway functional classification system. Federal-aid highways are those classified as rural major or urban collectors, arterials, urban freeways/expressways or interstate highways. Most but not all on-system routes are classified as federal-aid highways while most but not all off-system routes are classified as non-federal-aid highways. TxDOT allocates the Highway Bridge Program funds between on- and off-system projects and does so in such a way as to assure the 15% minimum requirement for the funding of non-federal-aid highway projects.

Projects for the on- and off-system Highway Bridge Program are selected according to eligibility requirements specified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and prioritized on a statewide basis by the Bridge Division, which uses data from the bridge inspection database and a scoring tool called the Texas Eligible Bridge Selection System (TEBSS). More information on the prioritization score produced by TEBSS is available on the Bridge Division’s internal Project Development web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.

NOTE: Access to the internal web site is available only to TxDOT personnel.

For expected available funding levels, the selected and prioritized on- and off-system bridge projects are often compiled into respective programs of work as a joint effort of the Bridge Division and the Transportation Planning and Programming Division (TPP).

The Bridge Division and the Transportation Planning and Programming Division typically compile selected and prioritized on- and off-system bridge projects into respective programs of work for expected available funding levels. The Texas Transportation Commission then reviews for approval the developed programs of work and issues them under Categories 6 ON and 6 OFF of the annual Statewide Preservation Program (SPP) of the Unified Transportation Program (UTP).

The SPP, which is TxDOT’s ten-year plan for project development and construction to preserve and maintain the transportation system, normally authorizes Category 6 ON, 6 OFF, and 6 RGS projects only at the CONSTRUCT level of authorization, and these projects should be targeted for letting to contract development during the ten years of the given SPP edition.

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Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Highway Bridge Program, a contemplated project must first be consistent with the purpose of the program as covered in the overview of this section. Next, the existing bridge to be remedied under the program must be classified as deficient (structurally deficient or functionally obsolete). Collectively, bridges that are classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete are simply referred to as being “deficient.” For a deficient-classified bridge, a sufficiency rating then determines if a bridge is eligible for rehabilitation or replacement. The time since a structure’s last reconstruction and the type of structure also determine eligibility. The following points further discuss eligibility requirements as well as work considered to be ineligible.

Deficiency Classification. FHWA criteria determine whether a bridge is classified deficient (structurally deficient or functionally obsolete). A structurally deficient bridge is not able to carry the truckloads expected of the highway/road system of which the bridge is part. A functionally obsolete bridge is one in which the deck width, vertical clearance, or waterway is not adequate to accommodate the traffic demand on the bridge or the volume of water under the bridge. For specific definitions of deficiency ratings, see the Bridge Inspection Manual.

Sufficiency Rating. The sufficiency rating of a bridge is a single numerical representation of the sufficiency of the bridge that ranges from 0 to 100. In calculating the rating, consideration is given to the structural adequacy and safety, serviceability and functional obsolescence, and essentiality of traffic service. The higher the number the more sufficient the bridge. The sufficiency rating serves as a basis for establishing eligibility for replacement or rehabilitation of deficient-classified bridges on the program. If the bridge is deficient and the rating is less than 50, the bridge is eligible for replacement or rehabilitation. If the bridge is deficient and the rating is between 50 and 80, the bridge is eligible for rehabilitation only unless replacement can be justified by economic analysis. For ratings higher than 80, the bridge is not eligible for remedy under the program. For specific definitions of sufficiency ratings, see the Bridge Inspection Manual.

Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Projects. Bridge replacement means total replacement of a deficient-classified bridge with a facility constructed in the same general traffic corridor. The replacement structure should meet the current geometric, construction, and structural standards required for the type and volume of traffic expected on the facility over its design life. Applicable American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design standards should be used.

Bridge rehabilitation refers to project requirements necessary to perform the major work of restoring the structural integrity of a bridge as well as work necessary to correct major safety defects. Related costs are eligible except as noted under the Ineligible Work paragraph below.

Bridges to be replaced or rehabilitated both on and off the federal-aid highways should, as a minimum, conform to the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23, Part 625, Design Standards for Federal-Aid Highways, for the class of highway of which the bridge is a part.

Category 6 Highway Bridge Program funding for bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects is restricted by FHWA directives as follows:

It will cover the structural cost of the bridge and an approach roadway length of 300 ft. total.
Roadway costs for approach roadways greater than 300 ft. are limited to no more than 25% of bridge costs plus detour costs.
At least 50% of Category 6 funds are dedicated to bridge costs alone.

Category 6 Highway Bridge Program funding for bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects is determined as follows:

The entire project cost excluding items not eligible for federal funding is allowed for bridges with 150-ft.-or-less average approach roadways (300 ft. total).
The following formula applies to bridges with more than 150-ft. approach roadways (300 ft total): {[(Bridge Costs + Detour Costs) x 1.25] + (Mobilization + SW3P + Traffic Handling and Barricades + Removal of the Old Structure + Approach Rail + Bridge Approach Slabs)}, not to exceed [(Bridge Costs) x 2].
Bridge costs are the structural items (mostly Texas Standard Specifications 400 Items) listed separately for bridges in the project estimate, and approach roadway is the actual approach roadway called for in the plans.
Detour costs used in this formula must be based on actual rather than theoretical costs: if a bridge is built on an alternate alignment with no temporary detours, no detour costs are included in the calculation. The Bridge Division must approve the design and extent of any actual detour for Category 6 funding before acquisition of right-of-way or other expenditure contingent on detour approval. Temporary road closure or use of phased construction must be justified. If temporary detour costs are used to justify Category 6 funding, the items included in the detour cost must be listed separately in the project estimate.
Funding limitations are based on the project estimate submitted with the final PS&E package sent to the Design Division before letting. Any funding over the eligible Category 6 funding limit required for the project must come from other available funding categories.
In special circumstances roadway costs over the eligible Category 6 funding limit required for the project are considered for Category 6 funding if they have no other category of funding available.

Approach Roadway. The purpose of the off-system Highway Bridge Program is to replace or rehabilitate deficient bridges. There are no requirements regarding pavement on the approach roadway per se, assuming, of course, that the remainder of the route is unpaved.

Some types of approach roadway pavement may prove beneficial. In any event, it is suggested that the roadway surface adjacent to the structure utilize a select backfill to assure a smooth transition at the abutment backwall. This is left to the district’s purview or the project’s budget; however, flexible base, possibly cement stabilized, would accomplish this purpose.

Outcome of Project. Replacement/rehabilitation projects under the Highway Bridge Program should result in the removal of the bridge from structurally deficient and/or functionally obsolete classification.

Multiple Bridges on Same Control-Section-Job (CSJ). For programming purposes, two or more bridges may be combined into a single CSJ, provided the bridges are located on the same route within the same floodplain or otherwise on the same route in reasonable proximity, and program eligibility requirements are met.

Clustered Projects. For improved efficiency and cost, multiple projects, typically in the same county, are encouraged to be let for construction in the same contract. The Bridge Division Project Development Section is available to assist as needed in the development of clustered bridge projects.

Other Projects Possibly Eligible for Federal Bridge Fund Participation. The governing federal statute provides that the state may apply the Highway Bridge Program funds to replacement of the following:

Public highway/road bridges rendered obsolete as a result of federal flood control or channelization projects
Public highway/road traffic ferries in existence on January 1, 1984
Public highway/road bridges destroyed prior to 1965
Public highway/road, non-bridge structures classified as low-water crossings

Proceeding with a replacement project under the program in any of these special instances usually occurs outside the established statewide prioritization process. Projects should demonstrate compelling needs, and planners should document circumstances thoroughly.

Bridge program projects for replacement of bridges destroyed prior to 1965 should be limited to those destroyed bridges that had significant importance. The responsible highway/road jurisdiction making reasonable progress in scheduling the needed rehabilitation or replacement of the facility demonstrates that the bridge was of significant importance.

Deficiencies of non-bridge low-water crossings are predominantly functional with any collapse typically gradual and localized. Therefore, replacement under the program should be strictly on a case by case basis, considering the type and volume of traffic and the needs of the users. Also, such application should apply only in instances of year-round water flow through the crossing with at least 6-ft. average depth and/or at least one flood closure with one-day duration during each four-year period.

Before pursuing Highway Bridge Program funding in any of these four special instances, contact should be made with the Bridge Division project manager.

Ten-Year Rule for New Construction and Major Reconstruction. Bridges identified in the bridge inspection database as having a date of construction or major reconstruction within the past ten years are ineligible for the Highway Bridge Program regardless of the source of funding (local, state, or federal). Such bridges are not considered by FHWA in determining the state’s yearly Highway Bridge Program fund apportionment.

Disposition/Use of Existing Bridge. Whenever a deficient bridge is replaced or its deficiency otherwise alleviated under the bridge program, the bridge should either be dismantled or demolished or its use limited to the type and volume of traffic that the structure can safely service over its remaining life.

Bridges replaced under the Highway Bridge Program that are identified as historically significant may be preserved for adaptive reuse with federal Highway Bridge Program fund participation up to the estimated demolition cost. See the Historic Bridge Manual for additional information.

Funding of Environmental Mitigation Work. Work for the required mitigation of environmental impact in bridge projects is eligible for Highway Bridge Program participation.

Ineligible Work. The costs of long approach fills, causeways, connecting roadways, interchanges, ramps, and other extensive earth structures, when constructed beyond the attainable touchdown point, are not eligible under the Highway Bridge Program.

Toll Bridges. If they meet all other eligibility requirements, existing bridges on toll highways may be eligible for the Highway Bridge Program under certain conditions. These conditions include the following:

The highway is publicly owned.
Tolls are being collected to finance necessary maintenance of the facility and to pay off construction bonds (that is, tolls are not being collected in any part for profit).

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Statewide Prioritization

The on- and off-system categories of deficient bridges are prioritized independently of each other using a scoring tool referred to as the Texas Eligible Bridge Selection System (TEBSS). Detailed information on the TEBSS is provided on the Bridge Division’s internal Project Development Web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.

NOTE: Access to the internal web site is available only to TxDOT personnel. The bridge program statewide prioritization process is the responsibility of the Project Development Section in the Bridge Division. Preparation of the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) is the responsibility of the Transportation Planning and Programming Division, yet the priority scoring of the Categories 6 ON and 6 OFF projects is a primary responsibility of the Bridge Division.

Statewide Prioritization. The TEBSS statewide prioritization tool considers a bridge’s sufficiency rating, average daily traffic (ADT), adequacy of the roadway width, condition, and cost per ADT. The system scores bridges from 0 to 100 and the higher the score, the higher the priority.

Automatic Qualification. As a part of TEBSS, existing bridges with extremely low condition or sufficiency ratings (or low load capacity ratings, i.e., “critical deficiencies”) may be automatically qualified.

On-System Projects, Category 6 ON. The selected and prioritized on-system bridge projects are authorized in funding Category 6 ON of the yearly UTP under the CONSTRUCT level of authority. CONSTRUCT-authorized projects should be planned, developed, engineered, and let to contract development on or before the assigned letting date in the UTP.

Because DEVELOP-authorized bridge projects are not authorized to proceed to contract development letting, exercise judgment in the timing of planning, development, engineering, and construction of Category 6 ON projects. Information on how a project that is not yet CONSTRUCT-authorized ranks in comparison to other bridge program projects in the state is available from the Bridge Programs Branch. This comparison may indicate when a project might be CONSTRUCT-authorized under a subsequent SPP edition.

Off-System Projects, Category 6 OFF. The selected and prioritized off-system bridge projects are authorized in funding Category 6 OFF of the yearly SPP under the CONSTRUCT level of authority. With the meeting of certain administrative requirements, CONSTRUCT-authorized projects should be planned, developed, engineered, and let to contract development on or before the letting date assigned in the SPP.

Substitution of Off-System Projects. Substitution of a bridge project that does not have CONSTRUCT authority for a CONSTRUCT-authorized bridge project may be made under certain conditions as explained in Detailed Instructions on Substitution of Off-System Projects. (See the Bridge Division’s internal Project Development web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.)

NOTE: Access to the internal website is available only to TxDOT personnel.

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Administration of Off-System Highway Bridge Program Projects

When planning involves an off-system bridge project, particularly those under the Highway Bridge Program, coordination with the local government is essential.

If the local government expresses interest in the project and the project has CONSTRUCT authorization, an appropriate local government should be contacted, and its interest in participating in the project established.
If the local government expresses interest in the project and the project has CONSTRUCT authorization, an appropriate agreement must be executed between the state and local government before any work, either preliminary engineering or construction, can be performed. In addition to specifying the responsibilities of the parties in the performance and funding of the work, the agreement provides for advance payments (escrow payments) or performance of equivalent-match-funded work by the local government for its share of the project funding responsibilities. Questions about the standard agreement form should be directed to the Bridge Division Programs Branch.
Funding is typically 80-10-10, federal-state-local, with the local match fund participation requirement based on the estimate of project costs made at the time of agreement or agreement amendment execution.
Funding is typically 80-10-10, federal-state-local, with the local match fund participation requirement based on the estimate of project costs made at the time of agreement or agreement amendment execution.
For Category 6 OFF projects that are not yet CONSTRUCT-authorized, exercise judgment in communication with the local government. Avoid expectations of imminent project construction. A project must be CONSTRUCT-authorized by the Texas Transportation Commission, usually done only annually, following a deliberate prioritization and selection process to assure that neediest bridges are addressed first on a statewide level. A project cannot be let until a local government either remits escrow payments for its required participation in the project or provides written agreement on how it will meet its participation requirement. Information on how a given DEVELOP-authorized project ranks in comparison to other such bridge projects in the state is available from the Bridge Division Programs Branch. This comparison may indicate when a project could expect upgrade to CONSTRUCT authorization.
The usual 10% participation of the local government may be adjusted where the project is located within a county that meets the statutory definition of being an “economically disadvantaged county” (EDC). Such adjustments of local government participation due to EDC classification are addressed on a project-by-project basis, based on applications submitted by the local government through the district office, to the Transportation Planning and Programming Division.
The local match fund participation requirement on federal off-system bridge program projects may be waived. For waiving of the required local participation to be considered, the local government must agree to use local funds to perform structural or other safety improvement work on other load-carrying deficient bridges or cross-drainage structures in its jurisdiction. Such work must have a dollar value at least equivalent to the required local match participation or local participation as adjusted under the EDC provision. (See Detailed Instructions on Waiver of Local Match Fund Participation Requirement on the Bridge Division’s internal Project Development web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.)

NOTE: Access to the internal web site is available only to TxDOT personnel.

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Program Call and Development Cycle

The program call and development cycle for on- and off-system programs of bridge work typically begin 15 months before final approval of the given edition of the Statewide Preservation Program (SPP). Specified due dates for submittals and other actions by TxDOT districts normally cannot be extended because these due dates are usually dictated by the overall development, review, and Texas Transportation Commission approval schedule for the SPP. (See details on the program call and development cycle on the Bridge Division’s Project Development internal web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.)

NOTE: Access to the internal web site is available only to TxDOT personnel.

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Requests for Remedial Work on Completed Federal Off-System Highway Bridge Program Projects (UTP Category 6 OFF)

During its post-construction service life, any bridge will eventually require maintenance attention. Thus, one of the provisions of the usual advanced funding agreement (AFA) executed between the state and local government on these projects states that ...” After the project has been completed, the local government shall accept full ownership and operate and maintain the facility authorized by the agreement for the benefit of and no charge of toll to the public.”

However, there may be instances where a local government will approach the district requesting repair or other remedial action by TxDOT on a completed off-system bridge project with the local government requesting the remedial action due to poor design, lack of good design, or design error.

In many instances the problem that prompts the need for such remedial action can be avoided with appropriate maintenance attention. The suggestion of design deficiency should be determined by a thorough review of all the pertinent information and facts.

Therefore, when a district receives a request from a local government, it should take actions as explained in Detailed Instructions on Requests for Remedial Work on Completed Federal Off-System Bridge Program Projects. (See the Bridge Division’s internal Project Development web pages at http://crossroads/org/brg/.)

NOTE: Access to the internal web site is available only to TxDOT personnel.