On August 9, 2007, Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unveiled a "National Highway Bridge Reconstruction Initiative" in the wake of last week's collapse of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. The initiative would provide dedicated funding to states to repair, rehabilitate and replace structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System (NHS).
The initiative, which is expected to be introduced in the House when Congress returns in September, has four main components:
- Significantly Improves Bridge Inspection Requirements. Requires the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and states to significantly improve the processes for inspection of structurally deficient bridges.
- Provides Dedicated Funding. Provides dedicated funding to repair, rehabilitate, and replace structurally deficient bridges on the NHS.
- Distributes Funds based on Public Safety and Need. Requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop an administrative formula for distributing all funds. Prohibits any Congressional or Administration earmarks.
- Establishes NHS Bridge Reconstruction Trust Fund. Establishes an NHS Bridge Reconstruction Trust Fund, modeled after the Highway Trust Fund, to finance the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of structurally deficient NHS bridges.
The sources and amount of dedicated revenue will be determined after FHWA and the states provide additional data on the costs to finance the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of structurally deficient NHS bridges.
