Roadside Hardware Policy Memoranda and Guidance

Eligibility Process

• An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community – April 8, 2019
• Eligibility of Crash Cushion devices (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) 16 sunset date) – 12/20/2018 – This memorandum is to provide guidance to the FHWA Division Offices on the eligibility of National Cooperative Highway Research Program 350 (NCHRP 350) compliant crash cushions on the National Highway System (NHS) in the absence of an acceptable American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) MASH 16 compliant crash cushion
• Existing Roadside Safety Hardware Eligibility Letters Affected by May 26, 2017 Memorandum – This memo updates FHWA Division Offices on the FHWA implementation of process changes described in FHWA letter "An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community" dated May 26, 2017.
• Evaluating a State DOT's Process to Determine Roadside Safety Hardware Crashworthiness on the National Highway System (NHS) – April 9, 2018. This memo provides guidance to FHWA Division Offices to assist their evaluation that a State DOT has an acceptable process for determining crashworthiness of roadside safety hardware on the NHS
• An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community – May 26, 2017. This letter informs of important changes to the Federal-aid eligibility process.
• Federal-aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices – November 12, 2015. This memo informs of important changes to the Federal-aid eligibility process
• An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community – November 12, 2015. This letter notifies of additional improvements in the process since the May 18 letter on this topic.
• An open letter to all in the highway safety hardware and roadside design community - May 18, 2015 . This letter details FHWA's revised process for issuing Federal-aid eligibility letters for roadside safety hardware systems.
• In-service Performance Evaluation and Continuous Monitoring – November 17, 2005. The memorandum recommends that states monitor the performance of crashworthy roadside safety hardware to assess field performance, considering installation conditions and maintenance history among other factors, by referring to NCHRP Report 490" In Service Performance of Traffic Barriers"

NTSB Recommendations

• ACTION: State Guidelines for Cable Median Barriers – April 25, 2016. This memo clarifies cable barrier crash test criteria in the AASHTO MASH to address recommendation H-15-41 from the NTSB.
• ACTION: Median Barriers on Divided Highways Regardless of Access Type – July 9 2014. Recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board regarding median barriers on divided highways with less than full control of access.
• Information Memorandum regarding NCHRP Report 711 – November 27, 2012. This memo refers practitioners to NCHRP Report 711: Guidance for the Selection, Use, and Maintenance of Cable Barrier Systems.
• Commercial Passenger Vehicle Crashes Involving Roadside Point Hazards – October 4, 2012. Information concerning the safety issues associated with commercial passenger vehicle (CPV) crashes involving roadside point hazards and the use of high performance level barriers to address the safety issues, by referring to NCHRP Report 638: Guidelines for Guardrail Implementation. Report 638 gives specific guidelines for the application of guardrail and guardrail terminals.

AASHTO Guidance

• Change to the December 31, 2018 sunset date in the AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement for the AASHTO MASH – The purpose of this memo is to announce exceptions to the December 31, 2018 sunset date for cable barriers and cable barrier terminals.
• Change to the June 30, 2018 sunset date in the AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement for the AASHTO MASH – The purpose of this memo is to announce exceptions to the June 30, 2018 sunset date for w-beam terminals
• Clarification on Implementing the AASHTO MASH – The purpose of this memo is to provide clarification on technical and implementation issues pertaining to AASHTO MASH
• Clarification of Roles and Responsibilities in Implementing the AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement on the AASHTO MASH – March 17, 2017. Describes the different roles and responsibilities since the transition from NCHRP Report 350 to AASHTO's MASH criteria
• AASHTO/FHWA Joint Implementation Agreement for Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) –January 7, 2016
  This memo provides key information on roles and dates in the agreement.
• AASHTO Roadside Design Guide 4th Edition – June 26, 2012. The purpose of this memo is three-fold: reiterate the status of the RDG for FHWA, summarize significant changes in the RDG 4th edition, and add Frequently Asked Questions to our website.

Barrier and Terminal Design and Installation

• ACTION: Guardrail Terminal Installations and Repairs – November 30, 2016. Brings attention to guardrail terminal installation and repair issues.
• ACTION: REACT 350 Crash Cushion – September 14, 2016.
• ACTION: Roadside Safety Hardware – May 26 2015. Installation and maintenance of guardrail terminals.
• ACTION: ET-Plus W-Beam Guardrail Terminal Memorandum – October 10, 2014. Advises on recent developments, ongoing activity, action, and request for information.
• ET-Plus W-Beam Guardrail Terminal Memorandum – June 17, 2014. Provides information on eligibility of the device for Federal-aid reimbursement.
• ACTION: Application and Installation of Roadside Hardware – November 3, 2010. This memorandum addresses the proper application and installation of roadside safety hardware, and supersedes the memorandum of the same subject dated October 1, 2010
• ACTION: Roadside Design: Steel Strong Post W-beam Guardrail – May 17, 2010. Provides guidance on the height of guardrail for new installations on the National Highway System.
• ACTION: Supplementary Guidance for the Selection of W-Beam Barrier Terminals – November 17, 2005. This memorandum supplements the October 26, 2004 memorandum on the same topic, and provides additional information to assist designers in making appropriate barrier terminal selections.
• Guidelines for the Selection of W-Beam Barrier Terminals – October 26, 2004. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide specific information on the characteristics of most W-beam guardrail terminals that have been accepted for use on the NHS under the test evaluation criteria contained in NCHRP Report 350, and to provide guidelines for their selection.
• Bridge Rail Analysis – May 16,2000. Information and example of analysis for bridge railings that are essentially the same as crash-tested designs.
• Technical Advisory T5040 – April 13, 1992 – Curved W-Beam Guardrail Installations at Minor Roadway Intersection
  • Drawings
  • Eligibility Letter B-209

Archive

• Roadside Safety Hardware-Federal-Aid Reimbursement Eligibility Process – May 21, 2012 SUPERSEDED
  [Note: This memo has been superseded. Updated information was provided in a November 12, 2015 memo.]
• Information Memorandum: Cable Barrier Considerations – July 20, 2007
  [Note: Much of the information in the memo was superseded by the research found in NCHRP Report 711.]
• Guidelines for the Selection of Crash Cushions – January 3, 2000 [PDF, 641 KB] CANCELED
  [Note: This memo has been cancelled. See the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide for current information.]
• Action Memorandum: National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 Hardware Compliance Dates – August 28, 1998
• Information Memorandum: Crash Tested Work Zone Traffic Control Devices – August 28, 1998 [PDF, 3.73 MB]
• ACTION: Crash Testing of Bridge Railings – May 30, 1997
• ACTION: Identifying Acceptable Highway Safety Features – July 25, 1997. SUPERSEDED
  [Note: This memo has been superseded. Updated information can be found in a November 12, 2015 memo.]
• ACTION: Traffic Barrier Safety Policy and Guidance – September 29, 1994 [PDF,1.06 MB]
  [Note: Some of the information in this memo was superseded in August 1998 and later memos.]
• Technical Advisory 5040.34, – Guardrail Transitions June 8, 1993 SUPERSEDED
  [Note: This memo was superseded by implementation of NCHRP Report 350 as indicated in an August 1998 memo.]
• Corrugated Steel Guardrail Terminals – February 9, 1993 [PDF, 4.60 MB] CANCELED
• Performance of Guardrail Curb Combinations – February 28, 1992 [PDF, 267 KB ]
  [Note: This memo has been cancelled. See the NCHRP Report 537 – Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb-Barrier Installations.]
• Breakaway Sign and Luminaire Supports– July 6, 1990 [PDF, 567 KB] SUPERSEDED
  
• [Note: This memo was superseded by implementation of NCHRP Report 350 as indicated in an August 1997 memo.]
• W-Beam Guard Rail End Terminals – June 28, 1990 [PDF, 848 KB] SUPERSEDED
  [Note: This memo was superseded in September, 1994.]
• Determination of Strengthened Guardrail Deflection – May 18 1989 [PDF, 3.34 MB] CANCELED
  [Note: This memo has been cancelled. See the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide for current information.]
• Technical Advisory 5040.26, January 28, 1988 – Guardrail Transitions SUPERSEDED
  [Note: This memo was superseded by implementation of NCHRP Report 350 as indicated in an August 1998 memo.]