Emergency Relief: Status of the Replacement of the Cypress Viaduct
RCED-96-136
Published: May 06, 1996. Publicly Released: Jun 05, 1996.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the replacement of the Cypress Viaduct in Oakland, California, focusing on the: (1) expected completion date and reasons for construction delays; (2) estimated cost of the project and reasons for any cost growth; and (3) guidance governing the Federal Highway Administration's (FHwA) use of emergency relief funds.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, to modify the emergency relief guidance to make the agency's emergency relief regulations and manual consistent. |
Closed – Implemented
To ensure that the emergency relief guidance is as useful as possible to those involved in the emergency relief process, FHwA took two actions. First, FHwA's Executive Director issued internal guidance that clarified eligibility requirements. Second, it incorporated the new guidance into a revised emergency relief manual, which made the manual consistent with emergency relief regulations.
|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, to modify the emergency relief guidance to clearly define what costs can be funded through the emergency relief program, particularly when an environmental review recommends improvements or changes to the features of a facility from its predisaster condition in a manner that adds costs and risks to the project. |
Closed – Implemented
FHwA has developed guidance which clarified program eligibility requirements, particularly for situations when an environmental review recommends betterments to existing facilities. The guidance provides clarification for FHwA staff indicating when limits should be placed on emergency relief funding, and when full funding is appropriate. FHwA also incorporated this guidance into a revised emergency relief manual.
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