The Bridge Protection Act requires owners of older bridges spanning navigable waterways to assess their vulnerability to vessel collisions and develop plans to reduce any identified risks. Bridges built before 1996 that receive federal funding must use a standardized assessment method and submit results to the Department of Transportation, which will integrate the findings into a national database while protecting sensitive security information. Bridge owners whose assessments show high risk have one year to implement a risk reduction plan, or they become ineligible for future federal bridge grants starting in October 2026, though the Transportation Secretary can grant extensions. The bill establishes an interdisciplinary safety team within the Department of Transportation—drawing staff from the Federal Highway Administration, Coast Guard, and Army Corps of Engineers—to oversee compliance and maintain a vulnerability database. It also creates a $500 million competitive grant program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to help bridge owners pay for assessments and physical improvements to reduce collision risks.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.