Page 87 - Bridge and Highway Structure Rehabilitation and Repair

62 SECTION 1 ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is the entity that usually investigates
the causes of bridge failures. It has the general authority under 49 U.S.C. §1131 to investigate
selected highway accidents in cooperation with state authorities.
The Coast Guard (CG) and the Army Corps of Engineers (COE) have the responsibility
of clearing and reopening the waterways after floods or a vessel collision. The CG is the

authority that will declare the river safe for navigation once river debris has been removed.
The COE is the agency responsible for clearing federal navigation channels and assisting
in the removal of river debris with a barge-based crane operation.
3. Federal Highway Funding Programs are the main source for funding of bridge repairs.
FHWA’s Emergency Relief Program (ER)
The ER program is also administered through the state DOT’s. The ER program provides
funding for bridges damaged in natural disasters or that were subject to catastrophic failures.
The program provides funds for emergency repairs immediately after the failure to restore

essential traffic, as well as for long-term permanent repairs. The ER program is considered

to have a good track record in getting traffic alternatives such as detours, transit, or ferry-
boat service in place. It also uses innovative contracting to accelerate the rebuilding of any
damaged federal-aid highway facilities.
Rehabilitation is warranted by inclusion of an existing bridge in an approved funding
program.
Interstate preventive maintenance (IPM) projects cater to:
• Accidents caused by defi ciencies
• Corrosion prevention by painting
• Sealing of cracks
• Deck joint repairs
• Highway capacity improvement
• Safety improvement or other structural improvement programs.
4. Examples of special situations for funding are:
• The need for providing scour countermeasures

• Seismic retrofit of bearings and connections
• Condition of the bridge: According to Bridge Management System Coding Manual, Pub-
lication 100A. For example, in Pennsylvania a condition rating of 6 or less would require
the need for rehabilitation.
• If a bridge is structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, with a sufficiency rating of 50,

it may receive funds through Federal Critical Bridge (FCB) Funds for either replacement
or rehabilitation.
• If a bridge is structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, with a sufficiency rating be-

tween 50 and 80, it may receive funds through Federal Critical Bridge (FCB) Funds for
rehabilitation only.
• All the defi ciencies and problems listed in inspection reports must be addressed and re-
solved.
5. The Federal-Aid Highway Program is funded by the Highway Account of the Highway
Trust Fund (HTF). These are several large “core” formula-driven programs through which
highway funds are apportioned to the state DOT’s, namely:
• Interstate Maintenance Program (IMP)
• National Highway System (NHS)
• Surface Transportation Program (STP)