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(o) Historic Bridge Program
(1) Coordination.--The Secretary shall, in cooperation with the
States, implement the programs described in this section in a manner
that encourages the inventory, retention, rehabilitation, adaptive
reuse, and future study of historic bridges.
(2) State inventory.--The Secretary shall require each State to complete
an inventory of all bridges on and off the Federal-aid system to
determine their historic significance.
(3) Eligibility.--Reasonable costs associated with actions to preserve,
or reduce the impact of a project under this chapter on, the historic
integrity of historic bridges shall be eligible as reimbursable project
costs under this title (including this section) if the load capacity and
safety features of the bridge are adequate to serve the intended use for
the life of the bridge; except that in the case of a bridge which is no
longer used for motorized vehicular traffic, the costs eligible as
reimbursable project costs pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed
the estimated cost of demolition of such bridge.
(4) Preservation.--Any State which proposes to demolish a historic
bridge for a replacement project with funds made available to carry out
this section shall first make the bridge available for donation to a
State, locality, or responsible private entity if such State, locality,
or responsible entity enters into an agreement to--
(A) maintain the bridge and the features that give it its historic
significance; and
(B) assume all future legal and financial responsibility for the bridge,
which may include an agreement to hold the State highway agency harmless
in any liability action.
Costs incurred by the State to preserve the historic bridge, including
funds made available to the State, locality, or private entity to enable
it to accept the bridge, shall be eligible as reimbursable project costs
under this chapter up to an amount
not to exceed the cost of
demolition. Any bridge preserved pursuant to this paragraph
shall thereafter not be eligible
for any other funds authorized pursuant to this title.
(5) Historic bridge defined.--As used in this subsection, "historic
bridge'' means any bridge that is listed on, or eligible for listing on,
the National Register of Historic Places. |
