An ad hoc committee will conduct a study on "the performance of bridges that received funding under the innovative bridge research and construction program under section 503(b)of title 23, United States Code (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of Public Law 109-59; 119 Stat. 1144) in meeting the goals of that program, which included:

(1) the development of new, cost-effective innovative material highway bridge applications;

(2) the reduction of maintenance costs and life-cycle costs of bridges, including the costs of new construction, replacement, or rehabilitation of deficient bridges;

(3) the development of construction techniques to increase safety and reduce construction time and traffic congestion;

(4) the development of engineering design criteria for innovative products and materials for use in highway bridges and structures;

(5) the development of cost-effective and innovative techniques to separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic from railroad traffic;

(6) the development of highway bridges and structures that will withstand natural disasters, including alternative processes for the seismic retrofit of bridges; and

(7) the development of new nondestructive bridge evaluation technologies and techniques.

The study will include--

(1) an analysis of the performance of bridges that received funding under the program in meeting the goals described in items (1) through (7) above;

(2) an analysis of the utility, compared to conventional materials and technologies, of each of the innovative materials and technologies used in projects for bridges under the program in meeting the needs of the United States in 2015 and in the future for a sustainable and low lifecycle cost transportation system;

(3) recommendations to Congress on how the installed and lifecycle costs of bridges could be reduced through the use of innovative materials and technologies, including, as appropriate, any changes in the design and construction of bridges needed to maximize the cost reductions; and

(4) a summary of any additional research that may be needed to further evaluate innovative approaches to reducing the installed and life-cycle costs of highway bridges."