- USDOT Rule Terminates General Buy America Waiver For Manufactured Products
- TransCore Obtains TCA Contract Extension Following Positive Roadside System Assessment
- VDOT Makes Plans For Installation Of "Massive" I-495 Bridge Girders
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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USDOT Rule Terminates General Buy America Waiver For Manufactured Products
USDOT today published a final rule that amends FHWA’s Buy America regulation to terminate the general waiver for manufactured products and establish requirements for manufactured products used in federal-aid highway projects.
According to a department news release, “The Buy America Requirements for Manufactured Products Final Rule ends the previous Manufactured Products General Waiver, a general applicability waiver in existence for more than four decades that waived FHWA’s Buy America requirement for manufactured products. The new rule aims to maximize the use of domestically produced manufactured products permanently incorporated in federal-aid highway and bridge projects.” It adds that a two-phase rollout is contemplated. “For projects obligated on or after October 1, 2025, final assembly of all manufactured projects must occur in the U.S. For projects obligated on or after October 1, 2026, in addition to the final assembly requirement, the cost of components of products that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the U.S. must be greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product.”
“The new rule does not change the Buy America requirements that currently apply to iron or steel products. For clarity, the new rule does provide definitions of iron or steel products and manufactured products to differentiate between products that must comply with FHWA’s existing Buy America requirements for iron and steel and products that must comply with FHWA’s new Buy America requirements for manufactured products.”
The Federal Register notice includes information on the origin and purpose of the rule and the waiver, the decision to rescind the general waiver on manufactured products, and the final rule’s impact on projects in development.
FHWA’s Buy America web page has extensive information on the rule and its application to federally aided surface transportation construction.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Issues of Law Procurement of Tolling Equipment & Services US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Infrastructure Funding And Financing Initiatives
TransCore Obtains TCA Contract Extension Following Positive Roadside System Assessment
During their January joint meeting, the boards of the Transportation Corridor Agencies received a briefing on an HNTB assessment of their roadside toll system. The assessment was initiated as part of the agencies’ planning for an eventual upgrade or replacement of the system. According to the board meeting summary, “Results showed the system is performing well, with high levels of availability, reliability, and performance, and the report recommended future hardware and software upgrades to maintain performance levels and enhance reliability. To further maintain system performance, the Board of Directors authorized the CEO to execute up to three one-year extension options with TransCore LP, for continued tolling system maintenance services.”
For more information on the system assessment, see the TCA boards’ January 9, 2025, agenda packet at Item 7. Item 9 of the packet has details of the TransCore contract extension authorization.
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) California ETC Systems HNTB Procurement of Tolling Equipment & Services TransCore Transportation Corridor Agencies (CA)VDOT Makes Plans For Installation Of "Massive" I-495 Bridge Girders
Virginia DOT announced the schedule for installation of “five lines of massive steel girders extending 295-feet in length across northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) for a new express lanes ramp that will connect the Dulles Toll Road to northbound I-495.” Weather permitting, the operation — VDOT is calling it “Big Beam Weekend” — will take place between Friday night, January 24, and early Monday morning, January 27. Due to the scale of work and the lane closures it will require, the department is urging motorists to avoid the area over the entire weekend. Work zone maps and information on detour planning are available online.
Lane Construction is building the ramp as part of the $660 million I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project. The extension, scheduled to open late this year, is a public-private initiative under development by VDOT and Transurban.
95/395/495 Express Lanes (Metro Washington DC) Express Lanes Transurban Virginia Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Washington (DC) Metro RegionThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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