[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 23, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 23CFR655.603]

[Page 243-244]
 
                           TITLE 23--HIGHWAYS
 
 CHAPTER I--FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 655--TRAFFIC OPERATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart F--Traffic Control Devices on Federal-Aid and Other Streets and 
                                Highways
 
Sec. 655.603  Standards.

    (a) National MUTCD. The MUTCD approved by the Federal Highway 
Administrator is the national standard for all traffic control devices 
installed on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to public travel 
in accordance with 23 U.S.C 109(d) and 402(a). The national MUTCD is 
specifically approved by the FHWA for application on any highway project 
in which Federal highway funds participate and on projects in federally 
administered areas where a Federal department or agency controls the 
highway or supervises the traffic operations.
    (b) State or other Federal MUTCD. (1) Where State or other Federal 
agency MUTCDs or supplements are required, they shall be in substantial 
conformance with the national MUTCD. Changes to the national MUTCD 
issued by the FHWA shall be adopted by the States or other Federal 
agencies within

[[Page 244]]

2 years of issuance. The FHWA Regional Administrator has been delegated 
the authority to approve State MUTCDs and supplements.
    (2) The Direct Federal Program Administrator has been delegated the 
authority to approve other Federal agency MUTCDs with the concurrence of 
the Office of Traffic Operations. States and other Federal agencies are 
encouraged to adopt the national MUTCD as their official Manual on 
Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
    (c) Color specifications. Color determinations and specifications of 
sign and pavement marking materials shall conform to requirements of the 
FHWA Color Tolerance Charts. \2\ An alternate method of determining the 
color of retroreflective sign material is provided in the appendix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Available for inspection from the Office of Traffic Operations, 
Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (d) Compliance--(1) Existing highways. Each State, in cooperation 
with its political subdivisions, and Federal agencies shall have a 
program as required by Highway Safety Program Standard Number 13, 
Traffic Engineering Services (23 CFR 1204.4) which shall include 
provisions for the systematic upgrading of substandard traffic control 
devices and for the installation of needed devices to achieve conformity 
with the MUTCD.
    (2) New or reconstructed highways. Federal-aid projects for the 
construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, or 
rehabilitation of streets and highways shall not be opened to the public 
for unrestricted use until all appropriate traffic control devices, 
either temporary or permanent, are installed and functioning properly. 
Both temporary and permanent devices shall conform to the MUTCD.
    (3) Construction area activities. All traffic control devices 
installed in construction areas using Federal-aid funds shall conform to 
the MUTCD. Traffic control plans for handling traffic and pedestrians in 
construction zones and for protection of workers shall conform to the 
requirements of 23 CFR part 630, subpart J, Traffic Safety in Highway 
and Street Work Zones.
    (4) MUTCD changes. The FHWA may establish target dates for achieving 
compliance with changes to specific devices in the MUTCD.
    (e) Specific information signs. Standards for specific information 
signs are contained in the MUTCD.

[48 FR 46776, Oct. 14, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 16834, May 7, 1986]