We have enclosed two copies of the Department of Transportation
reply to the General Accounting Office (GAO) draft report
"Solving Bridge Corrosion Problems Quickly Could Save Billions."
In general, GAO has accurately assessed the bridge deck problem.

[See GAO note 1, p. 21.]

The lack of Federal funding, also, will no longer be
a factor in furnishing remedial treatment. The Surface Trans-
portation Assistance Act of 1978 passed by the Congress and
which the President has signed now provides adequate Federal
dollars for bridge replacement and rehabilitation on an
30-20 ratio. States, however, remain faced with the problem of
providing the 20 percent matching funds.

With regard to GAO's recommendations, the Federal Highway Admin-
istration (FHA) has modified its data retrieval program to better
identify bridge decks and their condition on all Federal-aid routes
and thus provide more realistic estimates of the costs of interstate
bridge deck restoration to the Congress. The FWA research program,
since the late 1960's, has been outstanding in this effort to

20

APPENDIX II

APPENDIX II

identify the causes of bridge deck deterioration and to provide solutions toward both the repair of old bridge decks and protection of new bridge decks. Some additional research deemed necessary has been programmed for funding in FY 1979. The FA agrees with the GAO report findings regarding the present technology evaluation process and actions are underway to improve the program.

If we can further assist you, please let us know.

Enclosure

[See GAO note 2.]

GAO notes:

(952173)

Sincerely,

Edward W. Scott, Jr.

1. Deleted material relates to data in our draft report that has been deleted from the final report.

Where ap

2. The enclosure is not included here.
propriate, the report has either been changed
or annotated to reflect comments in the en-

closure.