A first Bit Index Explicit Replication Traffic Engineering (BIER-TE) node of a network includes a first interface to a second BIER-TE node in the network. The first node includes a configuration topology and an operational topology. The configuration topology represents the configuration of the network and the operational topology represents usable and consistent links in the network topology. The first node receives first network topology information and updates the configuration topology with the first network topology information. The first node also verifies the first network topology information and updates the operational topology with the first network topology information responsive to the verification. The first node receives a packet including a routing bitstring having a set bit at a first bit index corresponding to the first interface and routes the packet to the second node responsive to the routing bitstring and the operational topology.