Credit for the delivery of these projects goes foremost to the project teams and to supporting players in the Bureau and the Department. Credit also goes to the public for their participation and support. The Bridge Design Division recently developed its first Strategic Plan, fashioned to support the Department's Strategic Plan. The strategies arising out of the plan will be the basis for developing action plans that will further enable us to fulfill our mission. As the State of Maine continues its commitment to good roads and safe bridges, we in the Bridge Design Division are poised to confront the challenges that are before us.
Most people hear about projects only after the needs have been identified and programmed.
The following outlines and explains the entire process that the Department goes through to bring bridge projects from conception to fruition. The BNS becomes an integral part of the Department's 20 Year Transportation Plan as it relates to bridge needs. The 20 Year Transportation Plan focuses on a twenty year management strategy to monitor and to predict the backlog of structurally deficient bridges and substandard roadway corridors. The 6 Year Plan is considered the beginning point for an individual bridge to become a project. A multifunctional Bridge Review Team field reviews each bridge candidate, assesses its condition and need, and prioritizes it for improvements.