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FAQs on communication between FHWA and entities seeking a Federal – Aid eligibility letter for a roadside hardware device or a modification to a roadside hardware device
1. Question: What is the procedure for communications between FHWA and any entity seeking a...
A guardrail is, first and foremost, a safety barrier intended to shield a motorist who has left the roadway.
The best case scenario, if a car is careening off the road, would be for that car to come to rest unhindered. In some cases and places, however, that is not possible. The roadway may be abutted by steep embankments or side slopes, or it may be lined with trees, bridge piers, retaining walls, or utility poles. Sometimes it is not feasible to remove those things.
| Subject: | INFORMATION: Federal-aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process For Safety Hardware Devices |
April 8, 2019
An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is continuing to update our process for issuing Federal-aid eligibility letters for roadside safety hardware systems. Our letters are provided as a service to the States and are not a requirement for roadside safety hardware to be eligible for Federal-aid reimbursement. This letter serves to notify you that FHWA is providing a policy clarification.
Federal-aid eligibility letters written by FHWA are not required in order for a State DOT to install the device on any road and are not required for the State DOT to receive Federal-aid reimbursement for that device. FHWA issues these letters as a service to the State DOTs. If an interested...
FHWA barrier guidance is contained in the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide. However, FHWA field offices often raise numerous issues that involve interpretations, extrapolations, device selection, hardware deployment, or simply trying to fit safety devices into real world...