Background

Rural transportation provides essential mobility and connectivity for many Nebraskans who rely on safe and efficient roads to deliver agricultural, energy, manufactured and other industry goods to market.

 

The current condition of Nebraska’s rural bridges impedes personal and commercial travel that is critical to the safety and prosperity of our citizens. The Transportation Infrastructure Bank Fund creates the County Bridge Match Program which will devote additional funding to pilot innovative solutions to help repair or replace critical bridges on county road systems.

 

Downloadable Documents

 

 

 

YOUR BRIDGE. YOUR WAY.

The objective of the program is to create a process that empowers and encourages local partnerships in order to promote innovative solutions and streamline repairs and replacement of deficient bridges in Nebraska's county road system. 

 

  • County participation is voluntary. Participating counties will maintain local control using local consultants and contractors.
  • The Transportation Innovation Act authorizes up to $40 million to be used for the County Bridge Match Program.
  • The program will terminate on June 30, 2029.

 

 

 

County Bridge Match

The County Bridge Match Program (CBMP) is an example of NDOT’s commitment to working with local agencies and counties to address transportation concerns of the system statewide. CBMP awards can fund 55% of the bridge construction costs.


A working group of NDOT and county officials developed the selection criteria and program details, which are available at https://ndot.info/BridgeMatch.
Eligible bridges are:


● Poor condition or load rating
● Greater than 20 feet long
● Located on a roadway classified as a local
road or above

 

 

 

Data

  • Nebraska has 15,043 bridges (over 20 ft.), which is 16th in the nation for total number of bridges.
  • 11,059 bridges are on the county system.
  • On the county system 1,780 are structurally deficient.
  • 36% of county bridges are more than 50 years old.
  • 216 of Nebraska's county bridges are currently closed.

 

 

County Bridge Match Program Working Group

 

The newly established working group plays a crucial role in overseeing the program. This group consists of two county highway superintendents representing the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) and three representatives from the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). The CBMP working group meets throughout the year to further review and define the program in preparation for the annual Request For Proposals (RFP) and selection process. This collaborative approach ensures that the voices of local experts are heard and that decisions are made with a comprehensive understanding of the unique needs of Nebraska’s counties.