(a) On or before January 1, 1999, the Commissioner of Transportation shall establish alternative design standards for bridges, principal and minor arterial roads, collector roads and local roads and streets.

(b) In establishing the standards required under subsection (a) of this section, the commissioner shall solicit and consider the views of chief elected officials and organizations, including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, regional councils of governments, the Connecticut Council on the Arts, the Federal Highway Administration and the Rural Development Council.