Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 27, 1997
Safe Bridges Act of 1997 - Amends Federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to set aside $800 million per fiscal year for obligation at the Secretary's discretion for the highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program. Recodifies under Federal law provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 relating to the highway timber bridge research and construction program. Directs the Secretary to make grants to carry out research concerning: (1) the development of highway steel bridge applications and materials used in such structures; (2) the development of bridges and structures that will withstand natural disasters and various environments; and (3) using steel in rehabilitating highway bridges and structures. Requires such technology to be made available to State and local transportation departments. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States for projects for the construction of steel bridges and structures on Federal-aid highways, with a Federal cost-share limit of 80 percent of project costs. Provides project funding for FY 1998 through 2003. Directs the Secretary to make grants to carry out research for the development of carbon composite highway bridge retrofit systems and related rehabilitation measures. Requires such technology to be made available to State and local transportation departments. Directs the Secretary to make grants to States for projects for the reconstruction or seismic retrofit of bridges on the national highway system, with a Federal cost-share limit of 80 percent of project costs. Provides project funding for FY 1998 through 2003.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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