Sponsors (6)
The bill directs new, targeted federal money to fix the worst bridges—improving safety and reliability—but does so by diverting a fixed share of highway funding and eliminating a carbon-reduction stream, which reduces resources for other transportation, resilience, and environmental priorities.
State and local governments (and the communities they serve) receive dedicated federal funds to repair or replace unsafe bridges, directly improving travel safety and reducing the risk of bridge failures or collapses.
Commuters, freight shippers, bridge owners, and local economies benefit from reduced delays and improved reliability because the program prioritizes repairs—including a weighting that directs 25% of apportionment toward deck area in poor condition—so worse bridges are fixed first.
States will receive a redirected, fixed share of highway apportionments (about 5.48%) for bridges, which reduces funds otherwise available for other federal-aid highway programs (e.g., transit, resilience, safety) and may constrain those programs' ability to serve communities.
The bill eliminates the federal Carbon Reduction Program, removing a dedicated funding stream for transportation-related emissions reduction and related projects that states and localities may have used to lower transportation-sector greenhouse gas emissions.
Because states can apply these bridge funds to non‑Federal‑aid bridges, some may shift money away from Federal‑aid highway projects, risking uneven distribution of limited resources and potential reductions in federally funded highway improvements.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a national bridge program funded by a new 5.47660865256628% highway apportionment, reallocating funds and repealing prior carbon reduction and certain PROTECT provisions.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Troy E. Nehls · Last progress February 9, 2026
Creates a new national bridge program in title 23 of the U.S. Code to fund bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, protection, and construction on Federal-aid highways, while allowing states flexibility to use funds on non‑Federal-aid bridges. Funds come from a new apportionment equal to 5.47660865256628% of specified highway money, and are distributed to states 75% by share of total bridge deck area and 25% by share of bridge deck area in poor condition, using the National Bridge Inventory as of December 31, 2024. The bill also repeals the prior carbon reduction program and a prior PROTECT subsection (c) provision and makes conforming edits to statutory cross-references.