AASHTO Journal, 7 September 2012
Transportation groups and government agencies are hoping to save taxpayer dollars and a lot of time by reforming the way bridge reviews are conducted.
The Federal Highway Administration this week — after consulting with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers — has proposed getting rid of individual historic preservation reviews for common bridge types built after 1945 that will need repair or replacement in the near future.
Traditionally, before bridges can be repaired or replaced, they must undergo a full individual historic preservation review. However, FHWA found that about 196,000 bridges are older but not historic, and therefore could plausibly skip that individual review for a programmatic review which would streamline a process that could save taxpayers up to $78 million over a 10-year period.
“The streamlined process will accelerate project delivery so drivers can see results sooner,” said FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez in a statement. “This is an innovative yet common sense approach that is all about saving time and money and making transportation improvements happen more quickly.”
Under the FHWA proposal, bridges with distinct historical, architectural, or engineering features would not be exempt from the individual review.
Additional information on the proposal is available in the Federal Register at bit.ly/1945bridge.