HB 23-1276

House Bill 23-1276 expands the responsibilities of Colorado’s Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise (BTE) by allowing it to perform preventative maintenance on bridges that are currently in fair or good condition. This means the BTE can now work on extending the lifespan of these bridges before they deteriorate further, helping prevent them from becoming structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The bill also permits the BTE to repair or replace fair-rated bridges as part of projects involving designated structurally deficient bridges. Signed into law by Governor Polis on May 15, 2023, the act will take effect on August 7, 2023, and it aims to improve overall bridge safety and maintenance across the state.

Official Summary

The bridge and tunnel enterprise (BTE) in the department of transportation (department) completes tunnel projects and finances, repairs, reconstructs, replaces, and maintains designated bridges in the state. A designated bridge is a bridge that is part of the state highway system and that the department has identified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete and has rated as poor. The act expands the scope of the BTE to include the completion of preventative maintenance bridge projects, which are projects that involve a treatment or strategy to extend the service life of a fair-rated or good-rated bridge by preventing, delaying, or reducing deterioration. The act authorizes the BTE to repair, reconstruct, replace, and maintain a bridge that the department has rated as fair if the fair-rated bridge is included as part of a project to repair, reconstruct, replace, or maintain a designated bridge. APPROVED by Governor May 15, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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