The Pontis bridge management system is the predominant bridge management system employed in the United States. The system employs a network optimization model for preservation, formulated as a Markov decision process with a linear program solution procedure. On each bridge, a set of level-of-service standards determines functional needs, whose benefits are calculated according to a user cost model. A multi-year program simulation generates project alternatives by combining preservation and improvement needs on each bridge. The program is optimized within budget constraints by means of an incremental benefit/cost algorithm.The mathematical formulation of each of these components is presented and discussed. Aspects of system development and data management are outlined, along with the current implementation status. California's experience with the use of Pontis in its funding process is highlighted. ed approach of optimizing the economic efficiency of the bridge network. In today's complex political and financial environment, the system provides a defensible and understandable means of expressing the long-term benefits of keeping bridges in good condition, as well as an objective way of choosing among maintenance, improvement. and replacement opportunities. In order to succeed in this objective. Pontis has the capacity to express the engineering concerns of deterioration and structural performance in economic terms understandable to a broader audience.

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