Implementing the Rule on Work Zone Safety and Mobility

In September 2004, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published updates to the work zone regulations at 23 CFR 630 Subpart J. The updated rule is referred to as the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (Rule) and applies to all State and local governments that received Federal-aid highway funding. Transportation agencies are required to comply with the provisions of the Rule by October 12, 2007. The changes made to the regulations broaden the former rule to better address the work zone issues of today and the future. Growing congestion on many roads, and an increasing need to perform rehabilitation and reconstruction work on existing roads already carrying traffic, are some of the issues that have lead to additional, more complex challenges to maintaining work zone safety and mobility. To help address these issues, the Rule provides a decision-making framework that facilitates comprehensive consideration of the broader safety and mobility impacts of work zones across project development stages, and the adoption of additional strategies that help manage these impacts during project implementation. The Rule requires agencies to develop an agency-level work zone safety and mobility policy to support systematic consideration and management of work zone impacts across all stages of project development. Based on the policy, agencies will develop standard processes and procedures to support implementation of the policy. The third primary element of the Rule calls for the development of project-level procedures to address the work zone impacts of individual projects. To help transportation agencies understand and implement the provisions of the Rule, FHWA has been developing four guidance documents. This Guide is the main Rule Implementation Guide and provides a general overview of the Rule and overarching guidance for implementing the provisions of the Rule. This document includes guidelines and sample approaches, examples from transportation agencies using practices that relate to the Rule, and sources for more information. While this Guide covers aspects of the Rule, it also contains information that can be useful to agencies in all of their efforts to improve safety and mobility in and around work zones, and thereby support effective operations and management of our transportation system.