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Alternatives to Consider and Document
when considering replacement of an Historic Bridge

Posted February 22, 2002

On Federally Funded projects involving bridges on or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, when replacement of the structure is proposed, a broad range of alternatives to avoid the impact to the historic resource must be considered. The alternatives should be analyzed and considered sequentially, beginning with those alternatives that have no impact, or minimal impact, to the resource. The list below is generally arranged from the least to the most substantial impact. The Section 106 documentation, developed to support FHWA's effect finding, should describe the alternatives analyzed and document the evaluation of the alternatives. The list of alternatives below is not all inclusive; if a reasonable avoidance alternative is discovered during the development of the project, or proposed by the SHPO or a consulting party, the alternative should also be addressed in the alternatives analysis.
  1. Do Nothing Alternative

    1. The original Owner does nothing to the existing bridge and it remains in its existing condition. If the bridge is currently closed to traffic, or it has a posted weight restriction, document the detour route around the bridge.

  2. Rehabilitation Alternatives (in its existing location)

    1. Rehabilitate the bridge for vehicular use, in accordance with the treatment approaches recommended by the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.

    2. Rehabilitate the bridge and retrofit the structure to carry legally loaded vehicles.

    3. Either the owner or another party rehabilitates the bridge for vehicular use, with size/weight limitations, or rehabilitate the bridge for non-vehicular use.

    4. Either the owner or another party avoids the bridge only and closes the bridge for possible future rehabilitation at its existing location.

  3. Bypass Alternatives

    1. Build a bridge next to the existing bridge, forming a one-way couplet, using both bridges for vehicular use.

    2. Either the owner or another party bypasses the historic bridge and maintains the historic bridge for either light vehicular use or non-vehicular use.

    3. The owner bypasses the historic bridge and leaves the historic resource at its existing location for future potential re-use, either by the owner or by another party.

  4. Relocation Alternatives

    1. The bridge is relocated and rehabilitated, by either the owner or another party, for the purpose of serving vehicular or non-vehicular traffic, at a public location.

    2. Another party relocates and rehabilitates the bridge at a location not available to the public.

    3. The owner retains ownership and the bridge is stored for possible future rehabilitation and use.

    4. The owner sells the bridge to another party for storage and possible future rehabilitation and use.

    5. The bridge is photo documented and then demolished.

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