SB 753

Under current law, the Department of Transportation administers a local

bridge program to reconstruct and rehabilitate seriously deteriorating local bridges

(local bridge program). Under the program, political subdivisions apply to the county

in which they are located for placement on the county's list of projects under the

program. DOT allocates funds to counties based on the ratio between the estimated

cost of reconstructing or rehabilitating qualifying bridges in that county and the

estimated cost of reconstructing or rehabilitating qualifying bridges in the state.

DOT supervises the construction of projects under the program and provides 80

percent of the project's costs with local funds providing the other 20 percent.

Also under current law, a town that has voted to construct or repair a bridge or

culvert on a highway maintained by the town may petition the county in which the

town is located for shared funding of the project (county bridge aid). With certain

exceptions, upon an adequate petition, the county must pay one-half of the cost of

construction or repair. In general, the county highway committee and the town board

supervise projects under this program.

This bill specifies that county bridge aid may be used to fund the local share of

a local bridge program project and that, if county bridge aid is used for this purpose,

DOT supervises the project.