I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1682 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to require States to develop and 

implement highway bridge management systems. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 24, 2009 

Mr. CONAWAY (for himself and Ms. SUTTON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to require States 

to develop and implement highway bridge management 

systems. 

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 ‘‘Bridge Life Extension 

5 Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Corrosion of highway bridges costs the 

9 United States economy $8.3 billion each year ac10 cording to a Federal Highway Administration report 


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1 (FHWA–RD–01–157) that was delivered to Con2 gress in 2002. 

3 (2) The ongoing cost of corrosion on United 

4 States highway bridges represents a needless waste 

5 of taxpayer dollars. 

6 (3) One-third of the ongoing cost of corrosion 

7 on United States highway bridges would be saved if 

8 existing, fully developed corrosion prevention tech9 nologies were applied to bridge decks and their sub10 structures. 

11 (4) The application of corrosion technologies to 

12 United States highway bridges is necessary, but cur13 rently underused. 

14 (5) The application of corrosion prevention 

15 strategies should be required in the design and reha16 bilitation of bridge structures that use Federal fund17 ing and the development of new corrosion prevention 

18 technologies should be encouraged. 

19 SEC. 3. HIGHWAY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND REHABILI20 TATION PROGRAM. 

21 Section 144(d) of title 23, United States Code, is 

22 amended by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(5) REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE PARTICIPA24 TION.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGHWAY

2 BRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.—As a condi3 tion for providing assistance to a State under 

4 this section, the Secretary shall require the 

5 State to develop and implement a highway 

6 bridge management system that meets the re7 quirements of section 303. 

8 ‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY TO NEW AND EXIST9 ING BRIDGES.—A highway bridge management 

10 system under subparagraph (A) shall apply to 

11 design and construction of new bridges and 

12 maintenance of existing bridges. 

13 ‘‘(C) PRESERVATION OF STRUCTURES.—In 

14 developing and implementing a highway bridge 

15 management system under subparagraph (A), a 

16 State shall— 

17 ‘‘(i) identify corrosion mitigation and 

18 prevention methods that will be used to 

19 preserve the highway bridges in the State, 

20 taking into account— 

21 ‘‘(I) material selection; 

22 ‘‘(II) coating considerations; 

23 ‘‘(III) cathodic protection consid24 erations; 


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1 ‘‘(IV) design considerations for 

2 corrosion; and 

3 ‘‘(V) concrete requirements; 

4 ‘‘(ii) establish a project maintenance 

5 program for highway bridges in the State 

6 for the purpose of extending the life of 

7 each highway bridge; 

8 ‘‘(iii) ensure that all highway bridge 

9 designers, inspectors, and maintenance in10 dividuals implementing the system are 

11 trained and certified in corrosion mitiga12 tion and prevention techniques; and 

13 ‘‘(iv) research current inspection tech14 nologies and techniques for highway 

15 bridges. 

16 ‘‘(D) CONSULTATION.—A State shall carry 

17 out the requirements of this paragraph in con18 sultation with engineers and other experts spe19 cializing in corrosion mitigation and prevention 

20 methods.’’. 

Æ 


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