TEA-21 - Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century Moving Americans into the 21st Century
	Q & A: #1109-4
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Question 1109-4: Projects for the seismic retrofit of bridges were made eligible for funding under the Discretionary Bridge Program (DBP) by TEA-21. Does a seismic retrofit candidate project that is composed of a series of small individual bridges qualify for DBP funding if the total cost of the project (combined total of all bridges) is more than $10 million or is at least twice the State's apportioned HBRRP funds? The project would not meet the DBP eligibility criteria unless the costs for all of the bridges were included.

Answer: The seismic retrofit project as described would not qualify for DBP funding. Under TEA-21 the DBP is for the funding of projects that are for the replacement, rehabilitation, or seismic retrofit of high-cost highway bridges that meet the DBP eligibility criteria. A project involving a series of individual unrelated bridges is not eligible for DBP funding even though the total cost of the combined project may meet or exceed the DBP eligibility limits.