Md., Va. Diverted Bridge Money

Virginia officials said that they are working to segregate bridge funds from the general competitive fray and that they stopped transferring money from the federal bridge fund to other uses after 2004.

Maryland officials said they should be judged by the overall generosity of their bridge spending. They argue that the state compares favorably in paying to fix existing infrastructure, including bridges.

"I have talked to my counterparts in other states where that is not the case," said Neil J. Pedersen, administrator of the Maryland State Highway Administration.

"We fund all of the priority needs that have been identified by the bridge engineers," Pedersen said, adding that sometimes the state will essentially front its own bridge repair money, even when federal funds could be used. That gives engineers the freedom to move quickly and to avoid jumping through some environmental or other federal hoops, he said.

"We make sure they get the funding they need," Pedersen said. "We don't really look at whether it's federal dollars or it's state dollars."

The District made no transfers from the federal bridge fund in the past six years, according to federal and city statistics. Ardeshir Nafici, the District's acting chief transportation engineer, said federal funds are too scarce and bridge needs too great to redirect funds to other uses.

"It doesn't mean if I have money in my left pocket, I can put it in my right pocket," Nafici said.

But that is what happens in many parts of the country.

Congress and the Federal Highway Administration have set loose standards by which bridges and other projects qualify for funding under the main bridge fund, which has averaged $4.7 billion annually for the past six years. Bridges without structural problems qualify for funding, and a state can move half the money it receives through the bridge program to non-bridge projects, according to officials and program documents.

Many state and federal officials applaud this setup, saying it gives state transportation officials the flexibility to decide which spans need fixing. Federal highway officials say Congress has given direction not to meddle.

"Congress has made clear they don't want the federal government telling states which bridges they are going to do first," said Ian Grossman, a spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration. "They've been very clear about federal oversight and how that is to balance with states' rights."

Federal and state officials say they cannot be certain which projects end up with the bridge funds.