Institute for Transportation

A significant opportunity exists in the United States to improve rural transportation networks and revitalize rural economies by using wood for bridge construction. This crumbling infrastructure provides an opportunity in the United States to improve and revitalize rural economies by using wood for bridge construction. Many of these bridges, especially the ones on double lane, rural roads, are ideally suited for wood construction. Recent advances in wood treatment, preservation, and design provide for the increased use of wood as an additional construction material to assist in the cost-effective rebuilding of our Nation’s infrastructure. To address this opportunity, the United States Congress funded the National Timber Bridge Initiative, beginning in Fiscal Year 1989. The purpose of this report is to describe the Initiative and its accomplishments to date.