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U.S. House Approves Bridge Legislation07-29-08 | News

U.S. House Approves Bridge Legislation

On July 5, 2008, workers in Minneapolis placed the final piece of the northbound section of the new 35W bridge in Minneapolis. (MPR Photo/Toni Randoloph)

House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., is the sponsor of the National Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2008 (H.R. 3999). ?EUR??,,????'??We have over 72,000 structurally deficient bridges in the United States,?EUR??,,????'?? he said.

On July 24, 2008 the House of Representatives approved the National Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2008 (H.R. 3999) by a 367 to 55 vote. Rep. Jim Oberstar (Dem.-Minn. 8th District) sponsored the bill. Rep. Oberstar has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Congress since 1975. H.R. 3999 requires the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the state transportation departments to develop plans to begin repairing and replacing bridges that pose the greatest risk to the public.

The state of U.S. bridge infrastructure was dramatically brought to the public?EUR??,,????'???s attention on August 1, 2007 when the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour. The legislation requires FHWA to develop new bridge inspection standards and techniques. “I toured the construction site of the new I-35W bridge and was amazed at the progress that was being made,?EUR??,,????'?? said Rep. Oberstar. ?EUR??,,????'??But we owe the victims and the survivors of that tragedy much more than a new bridge. We owe them a new bridge policy that ensures that the traveling public is safe. We have over 72,000 structurally deficient bridges in the United States?EUR??,,????'??+1,156 of them are in Minnesota. It is time to begin systematically repairing and replacing those structures.”

H.R. 3999 authorizes an additional $1 billion in funds for states to tackle their problem of structurally deficient bridges, but states must certify they do not have any structurally deficient bridges on the federal interstate before they can shift federal bridge funds for other uses. A recent study by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure found many states have diverted some federal highway bridge money to nonbridge programs. The Bush administration is lobbying for Congress to chop $1 billion from the bill. Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar will introduce the bridge bill to the Senate.