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128 <br />The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) development process for bridge <br />projects involves consideration of several evaluation methods in order to prioritize <br />needed improvements. A sufficiency index is used to determine whether a bridge is <br />sufficient to remain in service, or to what extent it is deficient. The index is a percentage <br />in which 100 percent represents an entirely sufficient bridge and zero represents an <br />entirely insufficient or deficient bridge. Factors evaluated in calculating the index are <br />listed below. <br />• structural adequacy and safety <br />• serviceability and functional obsol <br />• essentiality for public use <br />• type of structure <br />• traffic safety features <br />The NCDOT Bridge Maintenance Unit inspects all bridges in North Carolina at least <br />once every two years. A sufficiency rating for each bridge is calculated and establishes <br />the eligibility and priority for replacement. Bridges having the highest priority are <br />replaced as Federal and State funds become available. <br />A bridge is considered defic <br />obsolete. Structurally deficien <br />monitored and /or repaired. T <br />imply that it is likely to colla <br />monitored, inspected and rel <br />structural integrity. A function <br />are not used today. These bri <br />nor are they inherently unsafe. <br />adequate lane widths, should <br />demand or to meet the curren <br />flooded. <br />ent if it is either structurally deficient or functionally <br />means there are elements of the bridge that need to be <br />ie fact that a bridge is "structurally deficient" does not <br />use or that it is unsafe. It means the bridge must be <br />aired /replaced at ` an appropriate time to maintain its <br />ly obsolete bridge is one that was built to standards that <br />ges are not automatically rated as structurally deficient, <br />Functionally obsolete bridges are those that do not have <br />�r widths, or vertical clearances to serve current traffic <br />geometric standards, or those that may be occasionally <br />A bridge must be classified as deficient in order to quality for Federal replacement <br />funds. Additionally, the sufficiency rating must be less than 50% to qualify for <br />replacement or less than 80% to qualify for rehabilitation under federal funding. <br />Deficient bridges within the planning area are listed in Table 5. <br />G -1 <br />