Chapter 1: Introduction

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Section 1: About This Manual

Purpose

This manual sets forth procedures that facilitate historic bridge projects moving through the project development process smoothly without undue delays or last minute surprises.

Anchor: #i999588Manual Revision History
Version	Publication Date	Summary of Changes
2001-1	October 2001	New manual.
2005-1	January 2005	Revision updating information about Unified Transportation Program funding categories and authorization levels, adding information about the Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program-funded Historic Bridge Preservation Program, and correcting minor editorial errors.
2006-1	March 2006	Revision updating the name of the federally funded Bridge Program and adding an index to the manual.

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Historic Bridge Project Activities

Numerous activities must be successfully completed before a project can be let to construction. These activities include:

public involvement required by Section 106 (see the file named “public” or http://www.achp.gov/regs-rev04.pdf)
analysis of alternatives under Section 4(f) in (see the file named “examples” or http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/guidebook/chapters/v2ch15.asp).
determination of preservation options, including a structural assessment of the bridge
marketing of bridges that must be displaced
developing and executing necessary legal agreements

The manual provides procedures that should be followed when dealing with historic bridges and serves as a reference regarding applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines. In addition to historic bridge issues, the manual provides a brief discussion of the Unified Transportation Program (UTP), the federal Highway Bridge Program, and the project selection process known as the Texas Eligible Bridge Selection System (TEBSS) For more information about programs, see Chapter 2, Section 2. For TEBSS, see the Bridge Division internal web site at http://crossroads/org/brg/PD/index.htm.

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

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Historic Bridge Team

An interdisciplinary Historic Bridge Team is established for any project involving a historically significant bridge. This HBT includes individuals with varied experience and expertise to handle historic bridge projects. It is organized by the Bridge Division project manager, the team leader, when notified of a project by a district. The HBT may include members from the district and area offices, the Bridge and Environmental Affairs divisions, FHWA, and local officials or others as appropriate. The particular members of any given HBT depend upon the scope and complexity of the particular bridge project.

Member participation is on an as-needed basis. Although the HBT report forms the foundation for decision making, all members rarely need to meet as a group.

See Chapter 4, Section 2 for details concerning HBT formation.

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Funding

Limited federal funds equal to the estimated cost of demolition are available under the federal Highway Bridge Program for the preservation of historic bridges. In addition, when there is “no feasible and prudent alternative” to the removal of a historic bridge, the bridge must be made available to responsible recipients as mandated by federal statute (bridge marketing). The manual deals with the process whereby the estimated cost of demolition is determined and appropriate work items equal to that cost are identified.

Standard agreements and amendments have been developed for projects involving local governments and recipients of a historic bridge. Standard language has been developed for particular types of agreements or amendments to existing funding agreements that must be executed for on-system and off-system historic bridge projects. Example agreements and their accompanying exhibits are provided from hyperlinks in this manual.

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Manual Organization

This manual is organized as follows:

Chapter 1—About this Manual
Chapter 2—Working with Historic Bridges. Overview of historic bridge terminology and legislation, and programs and mechanisms available to help fund historic bridge preservation, types of historic bridges, and preservation options.
Chapter 3—Developing the Agreement. Overview of the Adaptive Use Proposal, agreement development, and agreement development responsibilities.
Chapter 4—Recommended Procedures and Sequence—Suggested sequence for a historic bridge preservation project.

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Feedback

Direct any questions or comments on the contents of this manual to the Director of the Bridge Division, Texas Department of Transportation.