FHWA site puts national highway specs in one place

A new Transportation Department Web site, , shows all highway construction specifications from the 50 states and territories, federal highway administrator Mary Peters said yesterday. The National Highway Specifications site was a joint effort by FHWA and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It serves as a clearinghouse and electronic library for agencies, contractors, construction engineers and researchers who can cross-reference and download current specifications and related documents.Peters said locating the specifications has always been time-consuming. Although more state highway agencies are posting their construction specs online, finding the various sites is still difficult. More than 20 national trade organizations and several federal agencies issue rules affecting highway construction."Electronic access, indexing and search features will save time and money for all users while promoting higher quality in construction," Peters said.Among the documents on the site are approved standard construction specifications and supplements from all state transportation departments, current approved standard specifications and supplements from FHWA's Federal Lands Highway Program office, and quality assurance and performance specs.