MDT will develop a process and schedule to evaluate off-system bridges. The process will be used and refined on a recurring basis. The schedule will lay out the timing of the process.

The following tasks are involved in the evaluation process:

1. Researching bridge conditions involves collecting data about county bridges. During this task, the project team will reach out to counties to understand a bridge’s detailed physical attributes, as well as the impacts to local and regional transportation, services, and the economy.
2. Setting priorities involves defining the criteria used to evaluate the data collected in step 1 in order to assign each bridge a score. These scores will then be used to assist in establishing priorities.
3. Identifying repair or replacement projects involves determining suitable short-term actions for each bridge. Some bridges could benefit from quick repairs or actions items to temporarily extend bridge life, including installing culverts, low water crossings, one-lane adjustments, etc. Bridges that require more effort, like total replacement, will be prioritized based on scoring criteria. An interactive map is being created so counties can look up individual bridges to understand current conditions and scoring.
4. Identifying grants and other funding opportunities will be the project team’s responsibility. Grants and other funding opportunities that can be used to construct off-system bridge and bundled projects will be researched and categorized.