The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) required the Secretary to update the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FHWA proposes to update the NBIS to address MAP-21 requirements, incorporate technological advancements including the use of unmanned aerial systems, and address ambiguities identified since the last update to the regulation in 2009. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on November 12, 2019 and can be found with the link below. Comments were accepted on the Federal Register docket through March 13, 2020. (The original comment period was extended by 60 days.)
- National Bridge Inspection Standards Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
- External Webinar on the NBIS NPRM
In addition, the FHWA proposes to update the Recording and Coding Guide for the Structure Inventory and Appraisal of the Nation's Bridges. The final draft version of this new document, the Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory, can be found on the docket at the link below. FHWA also accepted comments on this document to the NBIS Federal Register docket through March 13, 2020.