II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1701 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to require corrosion mitigation and 

prevention plans for bridges receiving Federal funding, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 

Mr. BROWN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

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

mitigation and prevention plans for bridges receiving 

Federal funding, and for other purposes. 

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 that— 

8 (1) corrosion of highway bridges costs the 

9 United States economy $8,300,000,000 each year, 

10 according to the Federal Highway Administration 


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1 report numbered FHWA–RD–01–157 that was sub2 mitted to Congress in 2002; 

3 (2) the ongoing cost of corrosion on United 

4 States highway bridges represents a waste of tax5 payer dollars; 

(3) 1 6 ⁄3 of the ongoing cost of corrosion on 

7 United States highway bridges would be saved if ex8 isting, fully-developed corrosion prevention tech9 nologies were applied to bridge decks and sub10 structures; 

11 (4) the application of corrosion technologies to 

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

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 

11 to— 

12 ‘‘(i) design and construction of new 

13 bridges; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) rehabilitation and systematic pre15 ventative maintenance of existing bridges. 

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

17 developing and implementing a highway bridge 

18 management system under subparagraph (A), a 

19 State shall— 

20 ‘‘(i) identify corrosion mitigation and 

21 prevention methods that will be used to 

22 preserve the highway bridges in the State, 

23 taking into account— 

24 ‘‘(I) material selection; 

25 ‘‘(II) coating considerations; 


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1 ‘‘(III) cathodic protection consid2 erations; 

3 ‘‘(IV) design considerations for 

4 corrosion; and 

5 ‘‘(V) concrete requirements; 

6 ‘‘(ii) establish a project maintenance 

7 program for highway bridges in the State 

8 for the purpose of extending the life of 

9 each highway bridge; and 

10 ‘‘(iii) ensure that— 

11 ‘‘(I) maintenance individuals are 

12 qualified, as determined by the State 

13 in accordance with the standard de14 scribed in subparagraph (E); and 

15 ‘‘(II) all highway bridge engi16 neers and inspectors implementing the 

17 system are trained, and certified by 

18 the State, in corrosion mitigation and 

19 prevention techniques in accordance 

20 with the standard described in sub21 paragraph (E). 

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

23 out this paragraph in consultation with engi24 neers and other experts specializing in corrosion 

25 mitigation and prevention methods. 


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1 ‘‘(E) MINIMUM TRAINING AND CERTIFI2 CATION STANDARDS.—The Secretary, in con3 sultation with States, shall establish a minimum 

4 Federal standard for corrosion mitigation and 

5 prevention training and certification for individ6 uals described in subclauses (I) and (II) of sub7 paragraph (C)(iii).’’. 

Æ 


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