State Historic Bridge Inventory and Evaluation (2024 Update)

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STATE HISTORIC BRIDGE INVENTORY AND EVALUATION 2024 UPDATE Location and setting will be important for those properties whose design is a reflection of their immediate environment, such as designed landscapes. For a historic district to retain integrity, the majority of the components that make up the district's historic character must possess integrity even if they are individually undistinguished. In addition, the relationships among the district's components must be substantially unchanged since the period of significance. Department of Transportation (DOT)Act of 1966, 23 U.S.C. § 138 This act includes a special provision, referred to as Section 4(f) and now codified at 23 C.F.R. § 138, that stipulates the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)and other DOT agencies cannot approve the use of land from publicly owned parks, recreational areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, or public and private historical sites unless the following conditions apply: • There is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of land, and • The action includes all possible planning to minimize harm to the property resulting from use. "Use" of a property protected under Section 4(f) may be defined as a) permanent incorporation of land, b)temporary occupation of land if that temporary occupancy meets certain criteria, or c) by effect of proximity where noise, visibility, or other like conditions substantially impair the protected features of the property. In 2005, as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Public Law 109-59, Aug. 10, 2005), Congress amended Section 4(f)to provide an alternative method of approving the use of protected resources where the impact is de minimis. The de minimis impact determination provides the basis for the U.S. DOT to approve the minor use of a Section 4(f) property without identifying and evaluating avoidance alternatives, thus streamlining the approval process. The Section 4(f) regulations are located at 23 C.F.R. Part 774. National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA)of 1969,42 U.S.C. §§4321-4347 NEPA requires Federal agencies to identify and consider the environmental impacts of Federal actions and includes consideration of impacts on cultural resources. As required by the NHPA and NEPA, every Federal agency must provide for the identification and consideration of historic properties prior to undertaking any action that may potentially affect these resources. This applies to state agencies that receive Federal funds. Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, Public Law 100-17,April 2, 1987 This bill, which addresses highway improvement, planning and research throughout the United States, also declares that States are required to identify historic bridges listed in the National Bridge Inventory. Furthermore, it requires the Transportation Research Board to review and develop rehabilitation standards for historic bridges, as well as setting forth minimum allocations for each state for the purposes of transportation planning and research. Program Comment for Common Post-1945 Concrete and Steel Bridges