SUBJECT: Waiver of Local Match Participation for the Federal Off-System Bridge Program administered by the Texas Department of Transportation. WBS No. N-240004-0001-7
RECOMMENDATION: (Summary) Approve a Resolution supporting the City of Houston's request for a Waiver of the Local Match Participation Requirements for the Federal Off-System Bridge Program.
PROJECT NOTICE/JUSTIFICATION: The Federal Off-System Bridge Program is administered by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to replace or rehabilitate structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges located on public roads and streets not located in the designated state highway system. This Resolution will support a request for a waiver of the local match requirements of the program in return for the City agreeing to perform structural improvement work on other deficient bridges within the City's roadway system.
PREVIOUS HISTORY AND SCOPE: Under this Program, the usual fund participation ratios for projects are 80 percent federal, 10 percent state and 10 percent local government. The Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Section 15.55 provides that under specified conditions, the 10 percent local government match requirement may be waived if the local government performs an equivalent dollar amount of structural improvement work on another deficient bridge within its jurisdiction (Equivalent-Match Projects). The City of Houston has included in the Fiscal Year 2015-2019 Capital Improvement Plan $6,630,000.00 for the Bridge Rehabilitation/Replacement Program. The Texas Transportation Commission approved Minute Order No. 114264, dated May 28, 2015 for the reconstruction of the bridge listed below under the Federal Off-System Bridge Program, hereinafter, referred to as "Participation Waived" Project.
| Bridge |
Key Map No. |
NBI Structure No. |
Control Section Job No. |
Council District |
| Botany street at HCFCD Ditch |
573L |
12102B08961039 |
0912-72-353 |
D |
Based on field investigations, The Department of Public Works and Engineering has identified the following bridge as an appropriate candidate for replacement under this program.
|
Location
|
Key Map No.
|
Council District
|
| 9600 block of Longbranch Lane |
450X |
A |
The City proposes to replace an existing deficient wood bridge with a concrete culvert bridge. The new bridge will cost a total of approximately $216,000.00. The local match participation required for the reconstruction of the Participation-Waived bridge is $42,955.00.
This resolution requests TxDOT's consideration of waiving the local match participation on the Participation-Waived Off-System Bridge Program by utilizing funds expended in the Bridge Rehabilitation/Replacement Program under the City's Capital Improvement Plan.
ACTION RECOMMENDED: It is recommended that City Council approve a resolution supporting the Waiver of Local Match Participation Requirements for the Federal Off-System Bridge Program.