Bridge inspection reports and other bridge inspection documentation are confidential under the Texas Homeland Security Act and 23 USC Section 409, Safety Sensitive Information. Bridge Inspection documentation includes items such as inspection reports, inspection photo reports, follow up actions, load rating, and scour evaluation. Distribution of these documents is limited to persons directly involved in the maintenance and management of the respective bridges.

In some cases, open records requests may require input from the General Counsel Division (GCD) and the Attorney General. When involving GCD to request an Attorney General review to withhold information, the request must be sent to GCD within 10 business days of when the request was received.

When an inspection Work Authorization is completed in a District, bridge owners and other responsible parties are provided with the Routine Inspection Reports. Bridge owners and responsible parties may provide these documents to third parties working on their behalf in areas such as maintenance, repair, design, and construction. TxDOT will refer requestors to respective off-system bridge owners to obtain bridge records. District staff responding to these requests are also encouraged to contact the local government to remind them of the sensitive nature of bridge inspection reports. Third-party engineers working for an offsystem bridge owner may be provided with copies of construction drawings or as-built drawings and owners may summarize deficiencies requiring repair or maintenance. Owners and their third parties are responsible for the safekeeping of these documents. These documents are to remain out of the public domain.