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UDOT staff outline progress and reprioritized candidates for IIJA Bridge Formula Program
Summary
Cheryl Hirsch, UDOT chief structural engineer, told commissioners the Bridge Formula Program has funded replacement or rehabilitation work on dozens of local bridges, reporting 13 completed bridges, 35 in construction and 19 in design; staff proposed dropping six candidates and adding six others based on new inspection data and coordination with local owners.
Cheryl Hirsch, UDOT chief structural engineer, told the Transportation Commission’s planning workshop that the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) bridge formula program has created an unprecedented opportunity to address locally owned bridges.
“It provided a lot of opportunities to help fund replacements of local bridges,” Hirsch said, describing the program as a five‑year effort (2022–2026) that yields a minimum apportionment of $45 million per year — $225 million total — and requires at least 15% of those funds be used for off‑system (local) bridges. She said off‑system local bridge work is 100% federally funded, while on‑system state and local bridges carry a 6.77% match requirement.
Hirsch summarized how UDOT screened candidates: staff reviewed the statewide inventory and inspection data, prioritized bridges with poor or load‑posted conditions and those that could be bundled for design and construction efficiencies, and added program management and consultant capacity to speed delivery. To date, she said, the department has completed 13 bridge projects, has 35 projects in construction and 19 in design; within a month she expected seven more projects to move to completion and four to enter construction.
The presentation included program details commissioners will see on the agenda: a revised candidate list that would remove six bridges and add six others after recent inspections and local‑owner consultations. Hirsch said the department meets regularly with more than 30 local owners to confirm priorities and to identify projects that local partners or other funding sources already plan to deliver.
Hirsch also highlighted practical delivery constraints: most local candidate bridges cross irrigation canals and require construction when canals are turned off (roughly October–April), which can lengthen schedules. Of the current pack of 90 candidate bridges on the program dashboard, she said 43 are rated in poor condition, 41 are load‑restricted and 26 are both poor and load‑restricted; of those 26, 12 have been replaced, nine are in construction and three are in design.
Why it matters: the Bridge Formula Program directs targeted money to bridges that historically have lacked consistent funding. Hirsch told commissioners the program’s structure and project bundling aim to maximize the number of poor bridges that can be addressed within the apportionment, while local outreach and technical work aim to reduce surprises once projects reach construction.
Next steps: Hirsch said staff will bring the revised bridge list to the commission at its next meeting for programming actions. Commissioners pressed staff on whether the program will be sustained after IIJA funds expire; staff said the future of the formula program depends on federal reauthorization and the Highway Trust Fund’s revenues, and stressed the agency is taking advantage of the funding while available.
Ending: The department will bring the revised candidate list and funding changes to the commission for action at the next meeting and continue coordinating scheduling to hit canal‑closure construction windows.
