[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 23, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 1999]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 23CFR630]

[Page 160-161]
 
                           TITLE 23--HIGHWAYS
 
PART 630--PRECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
Subpart J--Traffic Safety in Highway and Street Work Zones

    Source: 43 FR 47140, Oct. 12, 1978, unless otherwise noted.

Sec. 630.1002  Purpose.

    The purpose of this subpart is to provide guidance and establish 
procedures to assure that adequate consideration is given to motorists, 
pedestrians, and construction workers on all Federal-aid construction 
projects.

Sec. 630.1004  Background.

    Part VI of the manual on uniform traffic control devices (MUTCD) \1\ 
sets forth basic priniciples and prescribes standards for the design, 
application, installation, and maintenance of the various types of 
traffic control devices for highway and street construction, maintenance 
operation, and utility work. The manual cannot address in depth the 
variety of situations that occur in providing traffic control in work 
zones. Although agencies responsible for traffic control and work area 
protection have attempted to develop some guidelines, a coordinated and 
comprehensive effort to develop greater uniformity is desirable. 
National reviews have shown that more attention is needed to insure that 
the MUTCD is properly implemented on all highway projects.
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    \1\ The MUTCD is available from the Superintendent of Documents, 
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. It is 
incorporated by reference at 23 CFR 655, subpart F.

[43 FR 47140, Oct. 12, 1978, as amended at 51 FR 16834, May 7, 1986]

Sec. 630.1006  Policy.

    It is the policy of the Federal Highway Administration that each 
highway agency shall develop and implement procedures consonant with the 
requirements of this regulation that will assure the safety of 
motorists, pedestrians, and construction workers on Federal-aid highway 
construction projects. The procedures shall be consistent with the 
provisions of the MUTCD. Highway agencies should be encouraged to 
implement these procedures for non-Federal-aid projects and maintenance 
operations as well.

Sec. 630.1008  Implementation.

    The FHWA Division Administrator shall review and approve the highway 
agency's implementation of its procedures at appropriate intervals. The 
FHWA shall take appropriate action to assure that the highway agency's 
procedures are being followed and achieve the results intended. Major 
revisions in established procedures shall be submitted to the FHWA 
Division Administrator for information.

Sec. 630.1010  Contents of the agency procedures.

    The agency's procedures shall include, but not necessarily be 
limited to the following:
    (a) Traffic control plan (TCP). (1) A traffic control plan is a plan 
for handling traffic through a specific highway or street work zone or 
project. These plans may range in scope from a very detailed TCP 
designed solely for a specific project, to a reference to standard 
plans, a section of the MUTCD, or a standard highway agency manual. The 
degree of detail in the TCP will depend on the project complexity and 
traffic interference with construction activity.
    (2) Traffic control plans shall be developed for all projects and be 
included in plans, specifications, and estimates

[[Page 161]]

(P.S. & E.'s) and shall be consistent with part VI of the MUTCD.
    (3) The scope of the TCP should be determined during planning and 
design phases of a project.
    (4) Provisions may be made to permit contractors to develop their 
own TCP's and use them if the highway agency and FHWA find that these 
plans are as good as or better than those provided in the P.S. & E.
    (5)(i) Two-lane, two-way operation on one roadway of a normally 
divided highway (TLTWO) shall be used only after careful consideration 
of other available methods of traffic control. Where the TLTWO is used, 
the TCP shall include provisions for the separation of opposing traffic 
except:
    (A) Where the TLTWO is located on an urban type street or arterial 
where operating speeds are low;
    (B) Where drivers entering the TLTWO can see the transition back to 
normal one-way operation on each roadway; or
    (C) Where FHWA approves nonuse of separation devices based on 
unusual circumstances.
    (ii) Center line striping, raised pavement markers, and 
complementary signing, either alone or in combination, are not 
considered acceptable for separation purposes.
    (b) Responsible person. The highway agency shall designate a 
qualified person at the project level who will have the primary 
responsibility and sufficient authority for assuring that the TCP and 
other safety aspects of the contract are effectively administered. While 
the project or resident engineer may have this responsibility, on large 
complex projects another person should be assigned at the project level 
to handle traffic control on a full-time basis.
    (c) Pay items. The P.S. & E. should include unit pay items for 
providing, installing, moving, replacing, maintaining, and cleaning 
traffic control devices required by the TCP. Suitable force account 
procedures may be utilized for traffic control items. Lump-sum method of 
payment should be used only to cover very small projects, projects of 
short duration, contingency, and general items. Payment for traffic 
control items as incidental to other items of work should be 
discouraged.
    (d) Training. All persons responsible for the development, design, 
implementation, and inspection of traffic control shall be adequately 
trained.
    (e) Process review and evaluation. (1) A review team consisting of 
appropriate highway agency personnel shall annually review randomly 
selected projects throughout its jurisdiction for the purpose of 
assessing the effectiveness of its procedures. The agency may elect to 
include an FHWA representative as a member of the team. The results of 
this review are to be forwarded to the FHWA Division Administrator for 
his review and approval of the highway agency's annual traffic safety 
effort.
    (2) Construction zone accidents and accident data shall be analyzed 
and used to continually correct deficiencies which are found to exist on 
individual projects, and to improve the content of future traffic 
control plans.

[43 FR 47140, Oct. 12, 1978, as amended at 47 FR 21780, May 20, 1982]