Chapter 2: Bridge Programming and Funding

Section 1: Overview

Introduction

Bridge work administered by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) includes projects for construction of new bridges and replacement, rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance of existing bridges on the public highways, roads, and streets.

Definitions

AADT
– Annual Average Daily Traffic
Bridge
 – TxDOT operates under the definition of “bridge” as provided in
Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations
 (CFR), Section 650.
305
. The CFR definition of a bridge is:
  • A structure including supports erected over a depression or an obstruction, such as water, highway or railway, and having a track or passageway for carrying traffic or other moving loads, and having an opening measured along the center of the roadway of more than 20 feet between the under copings of abutments or spring lines of arches, or extreme ends of openings for multiple boxes; it include
    s
     multiple pipes where the clear distance between openings is less than half of the smaller contiguous opening.
  • The definition of a bridge
    ,
     includ
    ing
     multiple pipe structures,
    can be found in the TxDOT Bridge Inspection Manual
    .
CONSTRUCT Authority
 – Al
l phases of work are permitted for projects with CONSTRUCT Authority. Generally, projects with CONSTRUCT Authority are the highest ranked projects that have proposed letting dates within the next four years and are eligible to be selected for the 2- year letting schedule based on readiness. (See “Project Development Process Manual”)
DEVELOP Authority
 – DEVELOP authority phase is for projects in the years 5 to 10 of the UTP. The
 District
performs advanced planning, engineering, environmental studies, surveying, initial utility and right of way planning, and preliminary design. (See “Project Development Process Manual”)
ENV
– Environmental Affairs Division
On-system
– On-system routes are on the designated state highway system
. On-system bridge projects are typically funded with a combination of federal-state funds or 100% state funds.
Off-system
–
TxDOT defines o
ff-system routes
as those that
 are not part of the designated state highway system and are under the direct jurisdiction of a local government. A local government may be a county, city, other political subdivision of the state, or special
District
that has the authority to finance a highway improvement project.
O
ff-system bridge projects administered by TxDOT are typically funded with a combination of federal-state-local, federal-state, and federallocal funds.
ROW
– Right of Way Division
Unified Transportation Program (UTP)
– The Texas Transportation Commission (Commission) and TxDOT use the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) as TxDOT’s ten-year plan for transportation project development and construction.
The UTP:
  • Updated annually in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code (TAC §16.105) and is approved by the Commission annually prior to August 31.
  • Authorizes projects for construction, development and planning activities and includes projects involving highways, aviation, public transportation, and state and coastal waterways.
  • Provides a listing of projects and programs that may be delivered from available forecasted funding over the next 10 years.
  • Highway program funding categories
     incorporate the various programs outlined by the current federal highway bill and the state general appropriations act.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
– The
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides funding for highway programs and key infrastructure priorities from fiscal years 2022 through 2026. IIJA was signed into law November 15, 2021.
 TxDOT’s Bridge Program is supported by the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)
,
 the Surface Transportation
Block Grant
 (ST
BG
)
, and by new programs created under IIJA including the Bridge Formula Program (BFP) and the Bridge Investment Program (BIP).
However, for all TxDOT administered construction projects that include bridges, regardless of the UTP funding category, matters of bridge planning, structural design, plan development, and plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) review are under the purview of the Bridge Division. Additional information on the UTP and funding categories is
available on TxDOT’s main website or in the Transportation Planning Manual
and the
Transportation Programming and Scheduling Manual
.