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Urban-Rural Initiative Program

DEFINITION OF "CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT" FOR THE URBAN-RURAL INITIATIVE PROGRAM (URIP)

As of FY-01(July1, 2000 to June 30, 2001), URIP funds MUST be spent on "capital" improvements to public highways and bridges. The following is intended to provide some guidance to differentiating between a "capital" versus "maintenance" activity. Repairs to roads and bridges will fall into one of these two categories.

WHAT IS A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT?

A capital improvement is defined as “any work on a road or bridge which has a life expectancy of at least 10 years and restores the load-carrying capacity.” Examples of eligible "capital" activities are defined as follows:

    1. Medium to heavy overlays which improve the strength and ride quality (minimum 1 inch lift on a shimmed surface), pavement and/or base recycling, pavement cold planing and resurfacing
    2. Road reconstruction or rehabilitation
    3. Gravel road grade-raising or paving
    4. Single culvert replacements or a series of drainage improvements
    5. * Traffic signal or sign installation and/or replacements
    6. * Sidewalk construction or reconstruction
    7. * Heavy ditching, under drain and catch basin installation or total system replacement, permanent erosion control
    8. * Wetland mitigation
    9. * Guardrail installation
    10. Bridge or minor span replacement and rehabilitation
    11. Any bridge repair activities with a 10 year life
    12. Local share (1/3) of a Rural Road Initiative (RRI) project on a state aid road
    13. Debt financing/bond repayment for past capital improvements to public roads
    14. The urban match component of any federal-aid project
    15. “banking it” to save up for a future project
    16. Other (explain)__________________________________________________________

* Some of the categories of work (# 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9) qualify as capital improvements, but must be done in conjunction with roadway reconstruction/rehabilitation.

If capital improvements are being made to any STATE AID/MINOR COLLECTOR roads, under the RRI program, then the repairs which are eligible from the above list include items #1, 2, 3 & 4 AND the project must have a minimum value of $10,000.

WHAT IS MAINTENANCE?

Any work which extends, preserves or improves the life of existing infrastructure, such as:

Winter work including plowing and sanding, culvert cleaning and thawing, pothole patching, snow removal, equipment repair.

Summer work including routine ditching, culvert cleaning and repair, patching, pothole repair, travel lane or shoulder grading, cleaning or repairing catch basins, spot road repairs.

Surface treatments i.e. sand seals, chip seals, crack sealing, asphalt shimming, thin overlays (typically less than 1 inch thick and do not improve strength).

Road striping or painting.

Brush cutting, temporary erosion control, mowing, herbicide application.

Dust control, street sweeping.

Bridge cleaning.

Bridge maintenance

updated 7/25/08