Highway Bridge Program: Clearer Goals and Performance Measures Needed for a More Focused and Sustainable Program
Highlights
The August 1, 2007, collapse of a Minnesota bridge raised nationwide questions about bridge safety and the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) ability to prioritize resources for bridges. The Highway Bridge Program (HBP), the primary source of federal funding for bridges, provided over $4 billion to states in fiscal year 2007. This requested study examines (1) how the HBP addresses bridge conditions, (2) how states use HBP funds and select bridge projects for funding, (3) what data indicate about bridge conditions and the HBP's impact, and (4) the extent to which the HBP aligns with principles GAO developed, based on prior work and federal laws and regulations, for re-examining surface transportation programs. GAO reviewed program documents; analyzed bridge data; and met with transportation officials in states that have high levels of HBP funding and large bridge inventories, including California, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | To improve the focus, performance, and sustainability of the HBP, the Secretary of Transportation should work with Congress to identify and define specific national goals for the HBP; determine the performance of the program by developing and implementing performance measures related to the goals for the HBP; identify and evaluate best tools and practices that can potentially be incorporated into the HBP, such as bridge management systems; and review and evaluate HBP funding mechanisms to align funding with performance and support a targeted and sustainable federal bridge program. |
Closed – Implemented
In 2008, we reported that the Highway Bridge Program (HBP), the primary source of federal funding for bridges, needed clearer goals and performance measures for a more focused and sustainable program. We found that the HBP affords states discretion to use HBP funds and select bridge projects in a variety of ways, such as reducing their number of deficient bridges or for seismically retrofitting bridges. However, the HBP does not fully align with principles established in our previous work and developed for re-examining surface transportation programs because the program lacks goals that are focused on a clearly identified federal or national interest, performance measures, and sustainability. Therefore, we recommended that the Department of Transportation (DOT) work with Congress to identify specific program goals in the national interest. DOT worked with Congress to achieve effective action through the surface transportation reauthorization process. In July 2012, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)--reauthorized Federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs through Fiscal Year 2014--consolidated a number of existing highway programs, including the HBP. Bridge projects are now funded by the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) or the Surface Transportation Program. MAP-21 specified a program goal for NHPP, which is to improve those bridges on the National Highway System. As a result, federal funds on highway bridges are more focused on a clearly identified national interest.
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