Proposed Funding Levels for the Special Bridge Replacement Program

The Federal Highway Administration made three surveys between June 1977 and January 1978 asking states the amount of federal funds they could obligate for the Special Bridge Replacement Program. State responses showed that they could obligate about $493 million during fiscal year (FY) 1978. In one of the surveys, the states were asked to estimate total federal-aid highway obligations for FY 1978 and 1979 using two sets of responses--one assuming that present fiscal and program conditions would continue and one assuming that these conditions would change favorably. The $6.8 million estimate for Pennsylvania in June 1977 represented total estimated contract costs rather than only the federal share, and the estimate should have been reduced by the 25-percent state share to $5.1 million. Pennsylvania officials felt that they might have been able to increase their estimate by $5 million assuming 90-percent federal participation, but any increase in the estimate would have been restricted by the fact that there were not many bridges designed and ready for construction. In the September 1977 survey, Pennsylvania officials indicated that they would be unable to obligate any bridge program funds during FY 1978 and 1979 unless program conditions changed favorably. Continuation of the overall federal-aid highway construction program in Pennsylvania was dependent on the availability of increased state revenues to match federal funds.