The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the

United States Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States a ...

that specializes in

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by the Office of Road Inquiry, Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads.

History

Background

The organization has several predecessor organizations and complicated history. The Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was founded in 1893. In 1905, that organization's name was changed to the Office of Public Roads (OPR) which became a division of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

. The name was changed again to the Bureau of Public Roads in 1915 and to the Public Roads Administration (PRA) in 1939. It was then shifted to the

Federal Works Agency The Federal Works Agency (FWA) was an independent agency of the federal government of the United States which administered a number of public construction, building maintenance, and public works relief functions and laws from 1939 to 1949. Along wi ...

which was abolished in 1949 when its name reverted to Bureau of Public Roads under the Department of Commerce. With the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners was increasingly inadequate. New York State took the lead in 1898, and by 1916 the old system had been discarded everywhere. Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile after 1910, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and modernize dirt roads designed for horse-drawn wagon traffic. The American Association for Highway Improvement was organized in 1910. Funding came from automobile registration, and taxes on motor fuels, as well as state aid. In 1916, federal-aid was first made available to improve post-roads, and promote general commerce. Congress appropriated $75 million over a five-year period, with the Secretary of Agriculture in charge through the

Bureau of Public Roads The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

, in cooperation with the state highway departments. There were 2.4 million miles of rural dirt rural roads in 1914; 100,000 miles had been improved with grading and gravel, and 3000 miles were given high quality surfacing. The rapidly increasing speed of automobiles, and especially trucks, made maintenance and repair high-priority item. Concrete was first used in 1893, and expanded until it became the dominant surfacing material in the 1930s. Federal aid began in 1917. From 1917 through 1941, 261,000 miles of highways were built with federal aid, and cost $5.31 billion. Federal funds totaled $3.17 billion, and state-local funds were $2.14 billion.

Creation

The FHWA was created on October 15, 1966. In 1967, the functions of the Bureau of Public Roads were transferred to the new organization. It was one of three original bureaus along with the 'Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety' and the 'National Highway Safety Bureau' (now known as

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rel ...

Functions

The FHWA's role in the Federal-aid Highway Program is to oversee federal funds used for constructing and maintaining the National Highway System (primarily Interstate Highways,

U.S. Highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

and most state highways). This funding mostly comes from the federal gasoline tax and mostly goes to state departments of transportation. The FHWA oversees projects using these funds to ensure that federal requirements for project eligibility, contract administration and construction standards are adhered to. Under the Federal Lands Highway Program (sometimes called "direct fed"), the FHWA provides highway design and construction services for various federal land-management agencies, such as the Forest Service and the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

. In addition to these programs, the FHWA performs and sponsors research in the areas of roadway safety, congestion, highway materials and construction methods, and provides funding to local technical assistance program centers to disseminate research results to local highway agencies. The FHWA also publishes the ''

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices The ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways'' (usually referred to as the ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices'', abbreviated MUTCD) is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the Unit ...

'' (MUTCD), which is used by most highway agencies in the United States. The MUTCD specifies such things as the size, color and height of

traffic sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...

traffic signals Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic light ...

and

road surface marking Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information; they are commonly placed with road marking machines (also referred to as road marking equipment or pavement marking eq ...

Programs

Long-Term Pavement Performance Program

Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) is a program supported by the FHWA to collect and analyse road data. The LTPP program was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the

National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...

(NRC) in the early 1980s. The FHWA with the cooperation of the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United ...

(AASHTO) sponsored the program. As a result of this program, the FHWA has collected a huge database of road performance. The FHWA and the ASCE hold an annual contest known as

LTPP International Data Analysis Contest The LTPP International Data Analysis Contest or the LTPP Data Analysis Contest is an annual international data analysis contest held by the American Society of Civil Engineers and Federal Highway Administration. As the name suggests, the participan ...

, which is based on challenging researchers to answer a question based on the

LTPP Long-Term Pavement Performance Program, known as LTPP, is a research project supported by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to collect and analyze pavement data in the United States and Canada. Currently, the LTPP acquires the largest road p ...

data.

Every day counts initiative

The ''Every day counts initiative'' (EDC) of the FHWA planned in 2009 and started in 2011 is designed as the United States road infrastructure project of the 2010s decade to identify and deploy innovation aimed at reducing project build delivery time, enhancing safety and protecting the environment. It also made a positive impact in accelerating the deployment of innovations. Five steps were scheduled from 2012 to 2020 and include various technologies and methods to improve travel time, safety, project and contract management, saving energy, risks, cost and environment resources. It started with reducing

fuel consumption A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

and improving

travel time reliability Travel time reliability has been increasingly recognized as a key performance indicator for transportation roadways and transport systems, which exerts a strong influence on the stakeholders in transportation networks, including users (travelers), ...

Adaptive traffic control Adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) is a traffic management strategy in which traffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand. This is accomplished using an adaptive traffic control system consisting of both hardware ...

, continued with implementing

alternative intersection An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...

s design and several money savings and

anti-corruption Anti-corruption (or anticorruption) comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive meas ...

strategies like independent reviewing of construction plans before construction is paid, also time saving strategies like

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

, on site

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

constructions as

rapid bridge replacement Rapid bridge replacement or accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is a technique that allows bridges to be replaced with minimum disruption to traffic. The replacement bridge is constructed on a site near the bridge to be replaced. When it is comp ...

Organization

The Federal Highway Administration is overseen by an administrator appointed by the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

by and with the consent of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. The administrator works under the direction of the

Secretary of Transportation A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...

and

Deputy Secretary of Transportation The deputy secretary of transportation advises and assists the secretary of transportation in the supervision and direction of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The deputy secretary would succeed the secretary in his or her absence, sicknes ...

. The internal organization of the FHWA is as follows: *Administrator **Executive Director ***Office of Infrastructure ***Office of Research, Development, and Technology ****''Public Roads'' magazine ***Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty ***Office of Policy and Government Affairs ***Office of the Chief Financial Officer ***Office of Administration ***Office of Operations ***Office of Safety ***Office of Federal Lands Highway ***Office of Chief Counsel ***Office of Civil Rights ***Office of Public Affairs

Administrators

Deputy administrators

* D. Grant Mickle October 27, 1961 – January 20, 1964 *

Lowell K. Bridwell Lowell K. Bridwell (14 June 1924 – 21 November 1986) was an American journalist. He was a correspondent for the Associated Press and the Ohio State Journal from 1946 to 1950. He was director of the Federal Highway Administration from 1967 ...

(acting) January 20, 1964 – March 23, 1967 *

Ralph Bartelsmeyer Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

August 10, 1970 – January 25, 1974 * Joseph R. Coupal Jr September 30, 1974 – 1977 * Karl S. Bowers June 5, 1977 – August 3, 1978 * John S. Hassell, Jr. August 31, 1978 – July 11, 1980 * Alinda Burke August 8, 1980 – ? * Lester P. Lamm September 17, 1982 – 1986 * Robert E. Farris August 8, 1986 - June 8, 1988 * Eugene R. McCormick June 30, 1989 - ? * Gloria J. Jeff December 19, 1997 – January 3, 1999 * Dr Walter Sutton Jr (acting) January 3, 1999 – May 3, 2000 May 3, 2000 – January 2001 *

J. Richard Capka J. Richard "Rick" Capka (born March 16, 1949) was sworn in as the 16th Federal Highway Administrator on May 31, 2006 and served until he resigned on January 24, 2008. Previously, Capka had been appointed the Deputy Administrator of the Federal High ...

August 5, 2002 – May 31, 2006 * Kerry O'Hare November 10, 2008 – January 20, 2009 *

Gregory G. Nadeau Gregory G. Nadeau is a politician and former Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration which he served from 2015 to 2017. Nadeau carried out the duties of the Federal Highway Administrator in acting capacity from 2014 to 2015 after hi ...

July 8, 2009 – July 30, 2014 *

Brandye Hendrickson Brandye Hendrickson was named Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration on July 24, 2017, after having been Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation. She also became Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Adm ...

July 24, 2017 – October 9, 2019 *

Mala Parker Mala may refer to: Comics * Mala (Amazon), an Amazon from Wonder Woman's side of the DC Universe * Mala (Kryptonian), a villain from Superman's corner of the DC Universe Films and television * ''Mala'' (1941 film), a Bollywood drama film * , a ...

October 10, 2019 – January 20, 2021 *

Stephanie Pollack Stephanie Pollack is an American government official who serves as the deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. Pollack is also serving as acting administrator pending Senate confirmation of administrator nominee Shailen Bhatt. ...

January 21, 2021 – Current

Executive directors

*Lester P. Lamm, August 8, 1973 – ? *Thomas D. Everett, October 22, 2018 – June 30, 2022 *Mayela Sosa (Acting), June 30, 2022 - Present

Notes

References

External links

*
Federal Highway Administration
in the Federal Register
Payment to the Highway Trust Fund
account on

USAspending.gov ttp://www.usaspending.gov USASpending.govis a database of spending by the United States federal government. History Around the time of the Act's passage, OMB Watch, a government watchdog group, was developing a site that would do essentially eve ...

Highway Infrastructure Programs
account on USAspending.gov
Records of the Federal Highway Administration
(Record Group 406) in the National Archives {{authority control United States Department of Transportation agencies Government agencies established in 1967