WHAT IS A "CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT"?

For the purposes of defining local road work as a capitol improvement, the MDOT is defining it as "any work on a road or bridge which has a life expectancy of at least 10 years and restores load-carrying capacity, such as:

• Pavement and/or base recycling, pavement cold planing and resurfacing and preparatory work, medium to heavy overlays which improve the strength and ride quality ( minimum 1 inch lift on a shimmed surface),
  road reconstruction or rehabilitation,
  gravel road grade-raising or paving,
  a series of driveway and cross culvert installations and/or replacements,
  heavy ditching,
  guardrail installation,

• underdrain and catch basin installation,

• permanent erosion control,

• sidewalk construction or reconstruction,

• bridge replacement or rehabilitation,

• any bridge repair activities with a 10 year life,

• traffic signal or sign installation

• the urban match component of any federal-aid project,

• the local share of any project performed under the Collector Road Development Award Program (CRDA)
  the local share of any bridge project performed under the Local Bridge Program