Federal Highway Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FHWA is announcing that the Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) method of contracting (including Job Order Contracts) for low-cost construction contracts in the Federal-aid highway program will be allowed, without prior FHWA approval, under certain circumstances.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on December 6, 2017. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) established the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program that allows a State to assume FHWA's environmental responsibilities for environmental review, consultation, and compliance under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Federal highway projects. When a State assumes these Federal responsibilities, the State becomes solely responsible and liable for carrying out the responsibilities it has assumed, in lieu of FHWA. This program mandates annual audits during each of the first 4 years of State participation to ensure compliance with program requirements. This notice announces and solicits comments on the second audit report for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on February 8, 2018. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on February 8, 2018. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

The FHWA withdraws its August 4, 2014, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which proposed to establish a weighting factor of 5.0, to be used in determining the weighted population of fine particulate (PM2.5) nonattainment areas. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) language for the CMAQ Program funds that must be obligated for PM2.5 projects in PM2.5 nonattainment and maintenance areas (referred to in this document as a ``set-aside'') instructs that the set-aside be calculated based on ``weighted population'' in PM2.5 nonattainment areas. Because the statute did not specify the values to be applied to determine the weighted population, FHWA had previously initiated a rulemaking to establish the weighting factor. After reviewing the record in this matter, FHWA withdraws the NPRM.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) established the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program that allows a State to assume FHWA's environmental responsibilities for environmental review, consultation, and compliance under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Federal highway projects. When a State assumes these Federal responsibilities, the State becomes solely responsible and liable for carrying out the responsibilities it has assumed, in lieu of FHWA. This program mandates annual audits during each of the first 4 years of State participation to ensure compliance with program requirements. This notice announces and solicits comments on the first audit report for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).

The Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program allows a State to assume FHWA's environmental responsibilities for review, consultation, and compliance for Federal highway projects. When a State assumes these Federal responsibilities, the State becomes solely responsible and liable for carrying out the responsibilities it has assumed, in lieu of FHWA. Prior to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015, the Program required semiannual audits during each of the first 2 years of State participation to ensure compliance by each State participating in the Program. This notice finalizes the findings of the fourth audit report for the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) participation in accordance with these pre-FAST Act requirements.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement will not be prepared for a proposed transportation project in Alexander, Pulaski, and Union Counties, Illinois between the intersection of Illinois Route 3 with Illinois Route 146 and Interstate 57.

The FHWA, as the Lead Federal Agency, and MDOT SHA, as the Local Project Sponsor, are issuing this notice to advise the public of our intention to prepare an EIS for the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lanes Study (Study). The Study is the first element of a broader Traffic Relief Plan as announced by Governor Larry Hogan in September 2017, which considers improvements along the entire length of I-495 (Capital Beltway), as well as the entire length of I-270 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Highway) up to I-70 in Frederick County, Maryland. This EIS will evaluate the potential environmental impacts of alternatives that address congestion within the specific Study scope of I-495 from south of the American Legion Bridge in Fairfax County, Virginia to east of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and on I-270 from I-495 to I-370, including the east and west I-270 spurs in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and provisions of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and will include a range of reasonable alternatives, including a ``No Build'' alternative.

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and the USFWS that are final pursuant to the statute. The actions relate to the proposed highway project for a 26-mile segment of Interstate 69 (I-69) in the Counties of Morgan, Johnson, and Marion, State of Indiana, and grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

The FHWA is finalizing one guidance document and issuing one interim guidance document: Transportation Asset Management Plan Development Processes Certification and Recertification Guidance, and Transportation Asset Management Plan Consistency Determination Interim Guidance. These documents provide implementation guidance on provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Asset Management Final Rule, which requires a State department of transportation (State DOT) to develop and implement a risk-based asset management plan. Under these authorities, FHWA must certify that Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAMP) development processes established by a State DOT meet applicable requirements, and make an annual consistency determination, evaluating whether a State DOT has developed and implemented a State-approved TAMP that meets all applicable requirements. This notice finalizes the Transportation Asset Management Plan Development Processes Certification and Recertification Guidance, issues interim guidance on transportation asset management plan consistency determinations, and summarizes the comments received on the drafts of both guidance documents, FHWA's response to those comments, and any changes that were made to the guidance documents issued with this notice.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), is issuing this notice of intent to advise the public, agencies, and stakeholders that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to study the effects of a highway project under consideration along the Route 220 corridor in Henry County, Virginia.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The FHWA, on behalf of Caltrans, is issuing this notice to announce actions taken by Caltrans, that are final. The actions relate to the proposed highway project, Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project on State Route 84 (SR-84) between the City of Fremont and the town of Sunol in southern Alameda County, State of California. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the Notice of Intent (NOI) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement to study ways to reduce congestion, enhance safety, and improve traffic operation in the 14th Street Bridge Corridor (Interstate 395) is being rescinded. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2006. A draft EIS was released in January 2012. This rescission is based on a lack of available funding for the full corridor proposals and has led to identification of numerous individual projects of independent utility.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of a previously approved information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on June 19, 2017. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in the Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 65, April 6, 2015 to advise the public that FHWA and WisDOT would prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed freeway interchange improvement project on Interstate I-39/90 at the I-39/90 and US 12/18 interchange (Beltline Interchange) and adjacent local road systems in the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin. The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FHWA and WisDOT will no longer prepare an EIS for this interchange improvement project. FHWA and WisDOT will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed improvement project with reduced scope and impacts.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA that are final pursuant to the statute. The actions relate to a proposed highway project, Toll Locations 1 and 2 in the Towns of Hopkinton, Richmond, and Exeter in the State of Rhode Island, FHWA Project Number T0LL002, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Contract Number 2017- OT-002.

Automated Driving Systems (ADS) are increasingly being tested and introduced onto the public roadways. The FHWA is interested in hearing from the public, including stakeholders (e.g., State and local agencies, vehicle manufacturing industry, road hardware and intelligent transportation systems industry, related associations, transportation advocates, ADS hardware and software platform developers, etc.), on a range of issues related to assessing the infrastructure requirements and standards that may be necessary for enabling safe and efficient operations of ADS.

This notice provides information regarding FHWA's finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for iron and steel components of Georgia Ports Authority (GPA)-procured Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes that will increase intermodal capacity at the Garden City Terminal in Garden City, Georgia. These iron and steel components are not manufactured (from melting to coating) in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality. This notice follows FHWA's November 20, 2017, notice finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for 33 specific iron and steel components of the GPA Project by adding new items to the list of waived products.

As required by the Negotiated Rulemaking Act, the Secretary of Transportation announces a meeting of the Tribal Transportation Self- Governance (TTSGP) Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. The meeting is open to the public.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.