To ensure compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) two types of reviews are performed on local agencies’ bridge inspection programs.

Quality Assurance Reviews

• QA reviews are scheduled for agencies owning bridges listed on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) on a three year cycle.
• WSDOT Local Agency Bridge Engineer works with agency personnel to evaluate the program’s strengths, weaknesses and makes suggestion to correct any deficiencies.
• A close-out conference is help to discuss the findings and a report is sent to the local agency.

National Bridge Inspection Program Reviews

• FHWA coordinates with the WSDOT Local Agency Bridge Engineer to conduct National Bridge Inspection Program reviews for NBIS compliance.
• Specific areas of interest are load ratings and scour analysis.
• Recommendations for improvements are given and a report is filed.
• If the state or local agency program is deemed out of compliance with NBIS, a request to achieve compliance is issued.
• If an agency fails compliance, federal funds can be withheld until compliance is achieved.

Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual Chapter 34 contains more information about Bridge Inspection Programs and Quality Assurance Reviews.