Roles and Responsibilities

District Designee: The District Engineer will designate one primary and one backup person responsible for the overall response and notification of bridge emergencies that result in full or partial closures. This will typically be the District Bridge Engineer and District Bridge Inspection Coordinator but may vary from District to District.
The District Designee is responsible for the following:
  1. Send the notification as soon as it is practical do so, but no more than eight hours after occurrence. The first priority should be the onsite emergency response. Do not delay the field response for the sake of completing this notification process.
  2. In conjunction with maintenance personnel, conduct an initial assessment of the bridge site. For vehicular impacts, investigate the impact location and consider any reduction in structural capacity. Consider closing traffic lanes under the bridge due to the possibility of falling debris and/or risk of partial or total collapse. For non-vehicular incidents, observe the extent of damage and the need for traffic restrictions. Contact Bridge Division (Construction and Maintenance Branch Manager or Field Operations Section Director) as necessary for assistance with the assessment.
  3. Work to support District Permit Coordinator in completing the Bridge Incident Reporting Form (for vehicular impacts) or the Permit Restriction Application form (for non-vehicular impacts).
  4. Send details on closure to district maintenance staff responsible for reporting closures in the Highway Conditions Reporting System (HCRS).
  5. Document the event
    in AssetWise
    .
  6. Monitor condition and send follow-up notification to distribution list when the facility is re-opened.
Bridge Division is responsible for the following: Assists Districts with the assessment of damage and determination of potential traffic restrictions. Bridge Division will provide engineering support as necessary.
District Permit Coordinator is responsible for the following: Submitting the Bridge Incident Reporting Form (for vehicular impacts) or the Permit Restriction Application (for nonvehicular impacts) to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as soon as the bridge has been assessed and the lane/load limits determined (24 hours maximum).