(a)
The department shall prepare a 10-year state rehabilitation plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction, or the combination thereof, by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, of all state highways and bridges owned by the state. The plan shall identify all rehabilitation needs for the 10-year period beginning on July 1, 1998, and ending on June 30, 2008, and shall include a schedule of improvements to complete all needed rehabilitation during the life of the plan not later than June 30, 2008. The plan shall be updated every two years beginning in 2000. The plan shall include specific milestones and quantifiable accomplishments, such as miles of highways to be repaved and number of bridges to be retrofitted. The plan shall contain strategies to control cost and improve the efficiency of the program, and include a cost estimate for at least the first five years of the program.
(b)
The department shall prepare a five-year maintenance plan that addresses the maintenance needs of the state highway system. The plan shall be updated every two years, concurrent with the rehabilitation plan described in subdivision (a). The maintenance plan shall include only maintenance activities that, if the activities were not performed, could result in increased State Highway Operation and Protection Program costs in the future. These activities may include roadway, structural, and drainage maintenance. The maintenance plan shall identify any existing backlog in these maintenance activities and shall recommend a strategy, specific activities, and an associated funding level to reduce or prevent any backlog during the plan’s five-year period. The maintenance plan shall include specific goals and quantifiable accomplishments, such as lane-miles of highway to be repaved and the number of bridge decks to be sealed. The maintenance plan shall contain strategies to control cost and improve the efficiency of these maintenance activities, and include a cost estimate for the five years of the plan.
(c)
The rehabilitation plan and the maintenance plan shall attempt to balance resources between State Highway Operation and Protection Program activities and maintenance activities in order to achieve identified milestones and goals at the lowest possible long-term total cost. If the maintenance plan recommends increases in maintenance spending, it shall identify projected future State Highway Operation and Protection Program costs that would be avoided by increasing maintenance spending. The department’s maintenance division shall develop a budget model that allows it to achieve the requirements of this subdivision.
(d)
The rehabilitation plan shall be submitted to the commission for review and comments not later than January 31 of each odd-numbered year, and shall be transmitted to the Governor and the Legislature not later than May 1 of each odd-numbered year. The maintenance plan shall be transmitted to the Governor, the Legislature, and the commission not later than January 31 of each odd-numbered year.
(e)
The rehabilitation plan and the maintenance plan shall be the basis for the department’s budget request and for the adoption of fund estimates pursuant to Section 163.