U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
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| Subject: | INFORMATION: Change to the December 31, 2018 sunset date in the AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement for the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, 2016 Edition | Date: |
| From | Michael S. Griffith Director, Office of Safety Technologies |
In Reply Refer To: HSST-1 |
| To: | Division Administrators Directors of Field Services Federal Lands Highway Division Directors |
The purpose of this memorandum is to announce exceptions to the December 31, 2018 sunset date for cable barriers and cable barrier terminals relative to implementing the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 2016 Edition.
In December 2015, the AASHTO/FHWA joint implementation agreement for AASHTO MASH was successfully balloted by AASHTO's former Standing Committee on Highways and approved by FHWA. The agreement was executed to define actions needed for full implementation of MASH by December 31 , 2019. The agreement establishes sunset dates for AASHTO MASH compliance for various types of safety hardware as well as defines FHWA and AASHTO's responsibilities in implementing MASH.
AASHTO and FHWA release the following change to the AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Plan for implementing AASHTO MASH, 2016 Edition. The change extends the deadline date for cable barriers and cable barrier terminals to December 31, 2019 as described below.
The AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement states that for contracts on the National Highway System with a letting date after December 31, 2018, new permanent installations and full replacements of cable barriers, cable barrier terminals and crash cushions must be MASH 2016-compliant. This sunset date now only covers crash cushions. Cable barriers and cable barrier terminals are now included in the December 31, 2019, sunset date for "all other longitudinal barriers" and "all other terminals." This change supplements the Q&A document dated May 9, 2018 entitled "Clarifications on Implementing the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, 2016." This information, along with additional MASH implementation resources, may be accessed at: https://design.transportation.org/mash-implementation/.
SUMMARY
Please share this memorandum with your State DOT. AASHTO and FHWA will continue to monitor the implementation of AASHTO's MASH and will provide clarification and changes as needed on the above referenced website. If you need further information, please contact William P. Longstreet at 202-366-0087.
