[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 166 (Tuesday, October 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2284-E2285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2007

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), 
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and I introduce 
the ``National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 
2007'', which will improve the safety of Federal-aid highway bridges, 
strengthen bridge inspection standards and processes, and increase 
investment in the reconstruction of structurally deficient bridges on 
the National Highway System.
  The tragic collapse of the I-35W Bridge, which occurred in my home 
state of Minnesota on August 1, 2007, demonstrates the need to make a 
commitment to invest in the maintenance and reconstruction of our 
nation's infrastructure. Many facilities are being stretched to the 
limit of their design life and beyond.
  Of the 594,101 bridges in the National Bridge Inventory, 26.2 percent 
of America's bridges--more than one in four--are structurally deficient 
or functionally obsolete. There are 73,784 structurally deficient 
bridges and 80,317 functionally obsolete bridges. According to the U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), more than $65 billion could be 
invested immediately in a cost-beneficial way to address existing 
bridge deficiencies.
  We must take action to put in place a framework to address this 
situation, and ensure that the safety and structural integrity of the 
nation's highway bridges do not continue to deteriorate.
  Since the collapse of the I-35W Bridge, the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Highways and 
Transit have conducted in-depth hearings into the Highway Bridge 
Program and the National Bridge Inspection Program. During those 
hearings, we have found a number of significant problems that must be 
addressed to ensure the overall safety of the nation's highway bridges. 
The National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2007 
establishes a framework for risk-based prioritization of bridge 
infrastructure investments and ensures that the limited resources 
available today will reach those facilities most in need of repair.
  The National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act require 
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to immediately update the 
National Bridge Inspection Standards to establish uniformity among 
States in conducting inspections and evaluations. The bill also 
strengthens training, certification, and qualification requirements for 
all highway bridge inspectors.
  The bill requires States to inspect structurally deficient bridges 
each year using the best practicable technologies and methods. All 
other bridges would be required to be inspected every 2 years. The 
legislation allows FHWA to extend the biennial inspection requirements 
if FHWA determines that granting the extension will increase the 
overall safety of the State's bridge inventory.
  In response to concerns raised in a U.S. Department of Transportation 
Inspector General report, the bill requires States to calculate the 
load rating for highway bridges that have a structural deficiency in a 
load-carrying member and ensures that the safe load-carrying capacity 
for such bridges is properly posted.
  Our legislation also requires the Department of Transportation to 
conduct a risk-based prioritization for the reconstruction of deficient 
Federal-aid highway bridges. The National Academy of Sciences would 
then independently review the process of prioritization to ensure that 
investment and resource decisions are based on need, not politics.
  The bill also calls on States to develop a 5-year performance plan 
for the inspection of highway bridges and the reconstruction of 
structurally deficient and functionally obsolete Federal-aid highway 
bridges. The performance plans will provide a roadmap for addressing 
bridge needs, and will ensure greater accountability.
  The bill authorizes an additional $2 billion for reconstruction of 
structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System. These 
funds are in addition to funds authorized for the Highway Bridge 
Program under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation 
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. These funds are distributed to the 
States by formula, and Congressional or Administration earmarks are 
specifically prohibited.
  Finally, the bill limits the transferability of Highway Bridge funds. 
The funds authorized by this bill are not transferable to other 
Federal-aid highway programs. In addition, the bill provides that a 
State may transfer Highway Bridge Program funds to other Federal-aid 
Highway programs only if the State demonstrates to the satisfaction of 
the Secretary that the State has no structurally deficient Federal-aid 
highway bridges. This ``fix-it-first'' approach will ensure that bridge 
program funds are utilized as intended by Congress in SAFETEA-LU--to 
improve the safety of highway bridges.

[[Page E2285]]

  The bridge collapse of August 1, 2007, has served as a wake-up call 
for many policymakers and leaders around the country. We must take the 
lessons of the I-35W Bridge, and use them to create an accountable and 
reliable bridge program that guards the safety of all users. The 
National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2007, 
which Mr. DeFazio and I introduce today, begins the process of ensuring 
that such a tragedy will not happen again.

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