The following are definitions for some of the common terms used when discussing eligibility throughout most of the Category 6 funding programs.

Development Authority

(DA)

– Authorizes the development of projects consistent with the fiscal resources. (See the Transportation Programming and Scheduling Manual for more information).

Deficiency Classification

– A federal criterion that classifies a bridge as poor.

Good

– Bridge condition is determined by the lowest rating of National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for Item 58 (Deck), Item 59 (Superstructure), Item 60 (Substructure), or Item 62 (Culvert). If the lowest rating is greater than or equal to 7, the bridge is classified as Good.

Fair

– Bridge condition determined by the lowest rating of the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for Item 58 (Deck), Item 59 (Superstructure), Item 60 (Substructure), or Item 62 (Culvert) are rated either 5 or 6.

Poor

– Bridge condition determined by the lowest rating of the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for Item 58 (Deck), Item 59 (Superstructure), Item 60 (Substructure), or Item 62 (Culvert) are rated less than or equal to 4.

Bridge Health Index (BHI)

– Useful metric for assessing the structural health of a bridge. The index is calculated based on the condition of a bridge’s structural elements and their relative importance to the structure. A value of 100 indicates the bridge is in perfect condition, and a value of 0 indicates the bridge is completely deteriorated (all elements are in Condition State 4). For the purposes of bridge management, the most important use of a BHI is to measure and/or predict a bridge’s level of deterioration at a given point in time. This metric can be used alongside alternative project costs to compare the long-term cost-benefit ratio of those alternatives.

TxDOT Five-Year Rule

–any bridge closed for five or more consecutive years with no corrective action taken is not eligible for Category 6 funding and should be removed from the National Bridge Inventory.

TxDOT Ten-Year Rule

– a bridge must be in the National Bridge Inventory and inspected for a minimum of 10 years to be eligible for Category 6 funding.

Toll Bridges or Bridges on Toll Roads

– If they meet all other eligibility requirements, existing bridges on toll highways may be eligible for Category 6 funding under certain conditions. These conditions include the following: