LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                            February 12, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair, House Committee on
               Transportation
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB700  by Alexander (Relating to load and weight limits
               on certain bridges and culverts.), As Introduced
  
**************************************************************************
*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
**************************************************************************
  
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to restrict vehicles
operating under a special tolerance permit from operating on a bridge or
culvert for which a maximum weight and load limit have been established
by the Texas Transportation Commission or a county commissioners court,
if the gross weight of the vehicle and load or the axles and wheel loads
are greater than the established and posted limits.  The bill also allows
for this restriction to not apply if the bridge or culvert is along the
only public highway or road that the permitted vehicle can use to travel
from its point of origin to its destination.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) estimates that
implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a $10.9 million
cost savings each year from off-system and on-system bridge repairs that
would not be needed.  TxDOT estimates savings in the amounts of $3
million for on-system bridges, $6.1 million for off-system bridges, and
$1.8 million for preliminary and construction engineering costs each
year.  It is assumed that the savings realized from bridge repair costs
not being incurred would be used for other eligible transportation
related expenditures.  TxDOT also estimates no special tolerance permit
revenue gain or loss to State Highway Fund No. 006 would be realized due
to the implementation of the bill.

The bill would take effect immediately upon a vote of two-thirds of all
the members elected to each house; otherwise, it would take effect
September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Units of local government would experience a significant cost savings in
repairs to bridges. Savings would be proportional per bridge to the
savings per bridge for the state.  It is estimated that the bill would
not effect revenues generated for counties related to the sale of
special tolerance permits.
  
  
Source Agencies:   601   Texas Department of Transportation, 405   Texas
                   Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, MW, RT, DB