Glossary of Terms

This project has a lot of acronyms and engineering terms, so here's a glossary to help you:

  • BIP: The Bridge Improvement Program, a funding opportunity administered by the Federal Highway Administration.
  • Categorical exclusion, also called a CE or Cat Ex: A finding of a National Environmental Protection Act process that determines a project has no significant effect on the human environment. If a CE is granted, the project does not need an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
  • Creosote: A material derived from tar that is used to preserve wood.
  • EA: Environmental assessment. If a categorical exclusion does not apply to a project, then an environmental assessment must be developed before the project can move forward. This is a public document that provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether the project meets the criteria for a Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact (FONSI) or if an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed.
  • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Federal agencies prepare an Environmental Impact Statement if a project is determined to significantly affect the quality of the human environment. The regulatory requirements for an EIS are more detailed and rigorous than the requirements for an EA.
  • FHWA: The Federal Highway Administration, a division of the federal Department of Transportation.
  • FONSI document: Finding of No Significant Impact. A FONSI document is the decision document of an EA and is signed by the federal agency.
  • HDR: An engineering firm employed by both Missoula County and MDT to assist with bridge planning.
  • Load rating: The amount of weight a structure can safely carry. A load posted or load limited bridge is restricted by its load rating.
  • Local option gas tax: A voter-approved 2-cent tax on gas sold within Missoula County. Revenue from this tax was specifically designated for road and bridge improvements. County residents approved this measure in 2020, but the state repealed in 2021.
  • MDT: Montana Department of Transportation, the state's transportation agency
  • NEPA: National Environmental Protection Act, passed in 1970 to promote and protect the environment.
  • No-rise [certification]: A state law that requires bridges or any project within a floodplain must not raise the height of flood waters.
  • Off-System Bridge Program: Bridges in Montana that are not maintained by MDT. One of the many federal aid programs at MDT, this one funds the repair and replacement of locally owned bridges.
  • Pilings: The vertical posts in a body of water that support a bridge.
  • RAISE: The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program, which the federal Department of Transportation administers.
  • Right of way acquisition: The process of obtaining property or easements for the use of public infrastructure.
  • Safe Streets for All: A federal grant program the Department of Transportation administers. Click here to learn more about the Third & Clements project.
  • Scour critical: A bridge that has erosion or deterioration at the abutment (where the bridge attaches to land) or pier.
  • Section 106: Part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 106 requires federal agencies to identify and assess the effects its actions may have on historic structures.
  • Senate Bill 536: A law the state legislature passed in 2023 that designated $100 million toward the reconstruction and repair of local bridges and roads.
  • Stringers: Steel beams that run lengthwise under the bridge to help support the part of a bridge that you drive over.
  • Two-span bridge: A bridge that has two sections (spans).
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