I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4755

To establish a permanent fund to ensure the continued maintenance and

rehabilitation of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 26, 2000

Mr. PETRI (for himself and Mr. RAHALL) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To establish a permanent fund to ensure the continued maintenance and rehabilitation of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Woodrow Wilson Me5 morial Bridge Preservation Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SECRETARY FOR THE

7 WOODROW WILSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

8 (a) MAINTENANCE, REHABILITATION, AND EXPAN9 SION OF EXISTING BRIDGE.—The Secretary of Transpor10 tation shall be solely responsible for the maintenance, re-
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1 habilitation, and expansion of the existing Woodrow Wil2 son Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River between the

3 States of Virginia and Maryland until all conditions under

4 section 5 are met. The Secretary shall consult with the

5 Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and

6 the District of Columbia from time to time on the oper7 ating, maintenance, and rehabilitation needs of the bridge.

8 (b) COORDINATION OF AGREEMENT.—Sections 2(A),

9 2(B), and 2(C) of the agreement of April 19, 1985, be10 tween the Secretary of Transportation, the Commonwealth

11 of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of Co12 lumbia, related to the assignment of responsibility for the

13 operation and maintenance of the bridge shall remain in

14 effect.

15 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The contract authority, and asso17 ciated obligational authority, provided by section 412 of

18 the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995

19 (112 Stat. 159–160) and section 110 of title 23, United

20 States Code, for the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge

21 shall be designated as the Woodrow Wilson Memorial

22 Bridge Preservation Fund (in this section referred to as

23 the ‘‘Fund’’) and shall be maintained as such within the

24 Department of Transportation.
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1 (b) USES OF THE FUND.—The Fund shall be avail2 able to the Secretary for the maintenance, rehabilitation,

3 and expansion of the existing Woodrow Wilson Memorial

4 Bridge for the purpose of keeping the bridge in a condition

5 sufficient to facilitate interstate traffic in an efficient and

6 safe manner. Amounts in the Fund shall only be available

7 for those portions of the bridge that are owned by the Fed8 eral Government.

9 (c) REPLENISHMENT OF THE FUND.—Before Octo10 ber 1 of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall estimate the

11 balance in the Fund for such fiscal year. If the balance

12 is projected to be below $50,000,000, the Secretary shall

13 deduct from apportionments made to the Commonwealth

14 of Virginia and the State of Maryland under section 104

15 of title 23, United States Code, sufficient contract author16 ity and obligation authority to restore the projected Fund

17 balance to $50,000,000. The obligation authority deducted

18 shall be available until expended.

19 (d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall prepare

20 and transmit to Congress an annual report on the condi21 tion of the bridge.

22 SEC. 4. TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

23 (a) DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor24 tation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Mary25 land, and the District of Columbia shall develop a trans-
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1 portation plan for the Capital Beltway corridor (Interstate

2 Route 495) served by the Woodrow Wilson Memorial

3 Bridge project. The plan shall establish what level of high

4 occupancy vehicle lanes and transit service should be pro5 vided in the corridor and how such service should be ac6 commodated on a replacement bridge.

7 (b) CONSULTATION.—The plan shall be developed in

8 consultation with appropriate local jurisdictions and met9 ropolitan planning organizations.

10 (c) FUNDING.—The cost of developing the plan may

11 be paid from the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge Pres12 ervation Fund.

13 SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION OF REPLACEMENT BRIDGE.

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon certification to Congress by

15 the Secretary of Transportation that all of the following

16 conditions have been met, the balance in the Woodrow

17 Wilson Memorial Bridge Preservation Fund shall be avail18 able for the construction of a replacement for the existing

19 Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge:

20 (1) The transportation plan required under sec21 tion 4 has been completed and approved by the Sec22 retary, the Governors of Virginia and Maryland, and

23 the mayor of the District of Columbia.

24 (2) Title to the existing bridge has been trans25 ferred from the Federal Government to the Com-
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1 monwealth of Virginia or the State of Maryland, or

2 both.

3 (3) The Commonwealth of Virginia and the

4 State of Maryland have developed a finance plan to

5 pay for all costs of the replacement bridge project in

6 excess of the current Federal payment provided by

7 the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century

8 and have signed an agreement with the Secretary to

9 pay for all cost overruns to the finance plan. The

10 plan shall give priority to the use of such Federal

11 payment for the bridge component of the project.

12 (b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—In developing a replace13 ment bridge and its approaches under subsection (a), the

14 Secretary upon petition by the States of Virginia and

15 Maryland, may waive any requirement of title 23, United

16 States Code, other than sections 113 and 138 of such title,

17 that the States have determined to cause unreasonable in18 creases in the cost of the project.

19 SEC. 6. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

20 It is the sense of Congress that—

21 (1) the $900,000,000 Federal payment in the

22 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to

23 replace the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is the

24 final Federal contribution for that project;
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1 (2) any of the Federal payment remaining after

2 completion of the replacement bridge shall be avail3 able to pay for costs associated with construction of

4 approaches to the bridge; and

5 (3) all project costs not associated with the

6 bridge component are the responsibility of the Com7 monwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland as

8 was the case with the construction of the existing

9 bridge.

10 SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

11 Section 412 of the National Highway System Des12 ignation Act of 1995 (112 Stat. 159–160) is amended—

13 (1) in subsection (a)(1) by striking ‘‘of plan14 ning’’ and all that follows through the period at the

15 end of such subsection and inserting ‘‘of mainte16 nance and rehabilitation by the Secretary of the ex17 isting Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.’’; and

18 (2) by striking subsection (c).

19 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

20 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall

21 take effect September 30, 2000, and shall apply to fiscal

22 years beginning after such date.

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