1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to transportation; establishing a local bridge improvement grant program 
1.3 	and criteria; expanding criteria for bridge improvement funds appropriated in 
1.4 	fiscal year 2006;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 174.50, by adding a 
1.5 	subdivision; Laws 2006, chapter 258, section 16, subdivision 2.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 174.50, is amended by adding a 
1.8 	subdivision to read:
1.9 		Subd. 6c.Grants for local bridge improvement. (a) The commissioner may make 
1.10 	grants from the state transportation fund to political subdivisions to construct, replace, 
1.11 	or rehabilitate local bridges. Application for a grant must be made by resolution of the 
1.12 	governing body of the subdivision proposing to replace or rehabilitate the bridge. A grant 
1.13 	under this subdivision is subject to the procedures and criteria provided in subdivisions 5 
1.14 	and 6. No new rules are required for the administration of the grant program established 
1.15 	by this subdivision.
1.16 	(b) Political subdivisions may use grants made under this subdivision to construct 
1.17 	or reconstruct bridges, including:
1.18 	(1) matching a federal-aid grant to construct or reconstruct a key bridge;
1.19 	(2) paying the costs of preliminary engineering and any environmental study 
1.20 	authorized under subdivision 6a;
1.21 	(3) paying the costs to abandon an existing bridge that is deficient and in need of 
1.22 	replacement, but where no replacement will be made;
1.23 	(4) paying the costs to construct a road or street to facilitate the abandonment of 
1.24 	an existing bridge determined by the commissioner to be deficient, if the commissioner 
2.1 	determines that construction of the road or street is more cost-efficient than the 
2.2 	replacement of the existing bridge;
2.3 	(5) paying the costs of flood-related erosion protection;
2.4 	(6) constructing a water-retention project, if the commissioner determines that the 
2.5 	project is more cost-efficient than replacing an existing bridge; and
2.6 	(7) constructing a bridge on new alignments.

2.7 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.8 	Sec. 2. Laws 2006, chapter 258, section 16, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

2.92.10
	Subd. 2.Local bridge replacement and 
rehabilitation
 				55,000,000
	
2.11 	This appropriation is from the bond proceeds 
2.12 	account in the state transportation fund as 
2.13 	provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.14 	174.50, to match federal money and to 
2.15 	replace or rehabilitate local deficient bridges.
2.16 	Political subdivisions may use grants made 
2.17 	under this section to construct or reconstruct 
2.18 	bridges, including:
2.19 	(1) matching federal-aid grants to  construct 
2.20 	or reconstruct key bridges;
2.21 	(2) paying the costs of preliminary 
2.22 	engineering and environmental studies 
2.23 	authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.24 	174.50, subdivision 6a;
2.25 	(3) paying the costs to abandon an existing 
2.26 	bridge that is deficient and in need of 
2.27 	replacement, but where no replacement will 
2.28 	be made; and
2.29 	(4) paying the costs to construct a  road 
2.30 	or street to facilitate the abandonment 
2.31 	of an existing bridge determined by 
2.32 	the commissioner to be deficient, if the 
2.33 	commissioner determines that construction 
3.1 	of the road or street is more cost efficient 
3.2 	than the replacement of the existing bridge;
3.3 	(5) paying the costs of flood-related erosion 
3.4 	protection;
3.5 	(6) constructing a water-retention project, 
3.6 	if the commissioner determines that the 
3.7 	project is more cost efficient than replacing 
3.8 	an existing bridge; and
3.9 	(7) constructing bridges on new alignments.
3.10 	$2,500,000 is for a grant to Hennepin 
3.11 	County to design replacement of the Lowry 
3.12 	Avenue bridge carrying County State-Aid 
3.13 	Highway 153 across the Mississippi River 
3.14 	in Minneapolis.