Local agencies have been notified of project eligibility changes1 that will be made to the Highway Bridge Program (HBP):

Effective October 1, 2016, the following categories of bridge projects will NOT be eligible for HBP funding:

  • Bridges that are not in the National Bridge Inventory. This will effectively exclude replacement of low-water crossings from receiving HBP funding.

  • Bridges that are Functionally Obsolete due to bridge deck geometrics.

  • Bridges that were NOT designed and constructed to acceptable standards, resulting in substandard facilities for such conditions as flood flows. The Commitee may grant an exception to the this policy after due consideration.

  • Bridge Preventative Maintenance Program (BPMP) projects under $100,000. For smaller BPMP projects, local agencies are encouraged to use non-federal funds and accumulate Bridge Investments Credits to use as a match for future HBP funded projects. The Committee may grant an exception to this policy after due consideration.

For additional information, reference the letter to local agencies or contact Caltrans HBP managers - Linda Newton (916-651-0022), Reza Fereshtehnejad (916-651-6876), or Eileen Crawford (916-653-5740).

  1. Projects currently programmed and applications received prior to October 1, 2016 will continue to follow existing HBP Guidelines. ↩