Federal Highway Agency Renews Nationwide Bridge Inspection Paperwork
Published Date: 11/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Highway Administration wants to keep collecting important bridge inspection info from states, tribes, and federal agencies to keep our roads safe. They’re asking for public feedback by January 8, 2027, before extending this paperwork requirement. No big changes or extra costs are planned—just continuing the good work of tracking bridge health nationwide.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Mandatory Bridge Inspection Reporting Continues
If you are a State highway agency, a Tribal Government, a Federal Agency, or a U.S. territory transportation department (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam), you must continue to perform and report bridge inspection and inventory data annually under Title 23 U.S. Code section 144 and 23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C. This includes initial, routine, non‑redundant steel tension member, underwater, damage, in‑depth, and special inspections for all highway bridges on public roads; element‑level inspections for National Highway System bridges; annual bridge replacement unit cost reports; and periodic reporting of critical findings. The FHWA is requesting extension of this existing information collection and is accepting public comments through January 8, 2027.
Quantified Annual Time Burden on Respondents
The FHWA estimates specific time burdens for reporting: 10 hours per routine inspection on the National Highway System; 9 hours per routine inspection not on the National Highway System; 9 hours per non‑redundant steel tension member, underwater, and special inspection; 16 hours for each annual bridge unit cost report (52 reports); and 40 hours for follow up on critical findings (52 respondents). FHWA estimates a combined annual burden of 3,179,366 hours based on 76,557 NHS inspections, 73,492 non‑NHS inspections, and additional inspection and reporting instances.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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