Section 3: Responsibilities
Anchor: #i1000122Funding Responsibilities of the Parties
The historic bridge agreement describes the scope of work and funding for the project. In addition, when federal or state funds are involved, there are applicable standard procurement and public purpose provisions.
General funding options for any preservation effort are described in Chapter 2, Section 5. The specific scope of work and funding responsibilities for each project are described in the agreement. It should be clearly established which parties will be responsible for providing:
- environmental document requirements and clearances
- right-of-way and utility adjustments
- design—that is, plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E)
- construction and maintenance
- responsibility for letting the project to construction
Exhibits B and C of the agreement should present this information as documentation of the funding responsibilities.
Anchor: #i1000179Work Responsibilities of the Parties
Plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) are required for the state to let a construction contract to perform work for continued vehicular use or adaptive use of a bridge. The qualities of uniqueness and rarity that contribute to a structure’s historic significance are problematic for the development of the PS&E package because each project is different. Besides the differences in the details of the original structures, the extent and type of damage or deterioration present on a particular project may vary greatly from project to project. Estimating is difficult because no reliable records of average bid costs exist for unique and unusual repairs. Finally, plans may vary depending on the ultimate proposed use of the structure.
The scope of work to be performed by the state as part of an adaptive use plan under a federal Highway Bridge Program contract must be determined by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and TxDOT. After first identifying the work items required for a complete project, preliminary estimates for each item are determined. Then a commitment to perform a scope of work, based on the estimated level of funding available through the provisions of the federal Highway Bridge Program, is made by the state and FHWA. The available federal Highway Bridge Program funding is rarely adequate to include all the work items desired for a complete project. In most cases, the recipient will be responsible for necessary work items beyond those provided by the state.
Anchor: #i1000201Development of Work Items for the Agreement
- The state
and the Federal Highway Administration determines the amount and
type of work that can be accomplished under the applicable funding
limitation described in Chapter 2, Section
5. Typically, a historic bridge is either retained and preserved
at the existing site or relocated and preserved at another site.
The items/operations of the preservation work in Exhibits
B and C may include but are not limited to one or more, or
portions of one or more, of the following:
- repair, restore, modify, strengthen, clean, and apply corrosion protection, and/or undertake other preservation work on the historic bridge at the existing site
- erect barriers and/or accomplish other work necessary to convert the historic bridge to nonvehicular use
- prepare the historic bridge for relocation, which may include temporary bracing and removal of dead load such as timber decking
- lift and set the historic bridge onto the recipient’s vehicle or vehicles to transport the bridge to the relocation site
- remove the historic bridge from the existing site, transport it to the relocation site, and place the historic bridge on supports provided by the recipient
- The recipient is responsible for funding and/or performing any work for preservation beyond the work performed and/or funded by the state. For a Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program Historic Bridge Preservation Program project, the owner or recipient is responsible for 100% of the work beyond the limits of the existing or relocated bridge as required to develop pedestrian facilities.
- When the state is to move the historic bridge to another
site, the recipient gets the relocation site prepared and ready
for reassembly and/or placement of the bridge no later than the
date for letting the bridge replacement project to contract construction
or another date that is consistent with the work schedule of the
state’s contractor.
NOTE: If the bridge must be moved to a temporary site, the state has no obligation to further move the bridge to the recipient’s designated site.
- Removal of the historic bridge from the existing site must be accomplished within a time period specified in writing by the state. When the recipient is to transport the historic bridge to another site, the recipient, with at least 10 calendar days notice from the state, must have its vehicle or vehicles available at the existing bridge site for loading and transport of the bridge to the relocation site on a date that is consistent with the state contractor’s work schedule.
- When the historic bridge is preserved at the existing site, the recipient retains or assumes ownership of the bridge effective upon completion of the state’s project, or as specified in writing by the state.
- If the approved proposal includes removal and relocation of the historic bridge to a new site by the recipient or party acting on behalf of the recipient, the state and, if appropriate, the local government, are allowed to monitor these operations.
- The recipient may review the state’s bridge project plans prior to contract letting and observe any historic bridge preservation work while in progress. The recipient carries out such review and/or observation without undue delay of the progress of the project. The recipient’s review and observation must be coordinated with the state’s area engineer.
Example Work Items for Steel Truss Projects
Preservation and adaptive use projects often involve too many problems specific to the particular project to allow a generalization of the work items required. However, projects involving the relocation of small steel truss spans (spans shorter than 100 ft.) do follow a typical pattern. These projects will generally require the following work items:
- Remove and relocate bridge. Several versions of a special specification, “Remove and Relocate Historic Truss Bridge,” have been written for various projects. These specifications almost always have to be modified on a case-by-case basis.
- Demolish remaining existing structure. Portions of an old structure that are not to be reused must be demolished in accordance with Standard Specification, Item 496, “Removing Old Structures.”
- Repair steel bridge members. When a structure has damage or deterioration that requires reconditioning to ensure structural integrity, it should be repaired by the state prior to transfer to a recipient unless the recipient is aware of, agrees to, and is competent to perform the necessary repairs. A Special Specification, Item 7009, “Steel Bridge Member Repair” is available. It is often necessary to write special specifications for unusual repair work.
- Clean and paint existing structure. When cleaning and painting is to be performed by state contract, Standard Specification, Item 446, “Cleaning, Paint and Painting” is used. If only cleaning to bare metal is proposed, Item 446 must be modified. Special paint systems or encapsulating paint systems are available. Please contact the Bridge Division for paint guidance and required plan notes.
The remaining work items are usually consistent with typical new construction and can be specified using TxDOT Standard Specifications for new construction. The remaining work items may include:
- construct new foundations
- construct new approach spans and substructure
- construct new bridge deck
- construct new bridge rail
Even though available funding may not be adequate for the state to perform all work desired for a complete project, the recipient should be provided with a safe structure. Therefore, work to be performed by the state should give priority to removal, relocation, repair and, when lead-based paint is an issue, cleaning to remove lead-based paint. When the recipient is responsible for remaining work items, the state may elect to provide engineering drawings for foundations for use by the recipient at the recipient’s discretion to promote the use of a safe, substantial, stable, and durable substructure. The Bridge Division is available to prepare detail sheets for the plans and to write the required special specifications and special provisions. Examples of special specifications are provided here.