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Professional Development Program
The Federal Highway Administration
Who We Are
The Federal Highway Administration is one of the major organizational units of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Our Mission
The FHWA seeks to create the best transportation system in the world for the American people - one that moves people and goods safely, economically, and efficiently throughout the Nation and across international borders. The FHWA also considers the effects that highways have on the environment, communities, and our national economy.
How We Accomplish Our Mission
The FHWA works with State and local transportation agencies, highway associations, private industry, and other Federal Government agencies and the U.S. Congress. We promote the use of technology and telecommunications in highway construction and transportation management to improve highway quality and safety and to reduce congestion on the highways.
Federal-Aid Highway Program
The FHWA administers the Federal-Aid Highway Program, an annual multibillion dollar program of financial assistance to the States to construct and improve the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate system, significant arterial routes, other urban and rural roads, and bridges.
Headquarters
The FHWA has its Headquarters Office in Washington, DC. If you become part of our headquarters staff, you will be involved in developing policy and program guidance, as well as technical solutions to highway and transportation problems that challenge our Nation. You will work closely with our field organizations, including our four Resource Centers and 52 Federal-aid Division Offices.
Resource Centers
The FHWA's field organization includes four Resource Centers: Eastern—Baltimore,
Maryland; Southern—Atlanta, Georgia; Midwestern—Matteson, Illinois;
and Western—San Francisco, California. Their primary role is to support the
State-level Division Offices and other agency partner/customers by providing
leadership for the agency's strategic planning goals and initiatives; technical
and program assistance and training; promoting technology deployment and adoption
of best practices; assisting in intermodal and interagency coordination in such
areas as air quality, innovative finance, and engineering; legal services, and
assistance on civil rights matters.
Divisions
A Division Office is located in each State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto
Rico. Division Office staff are on the front lines of FHWA's mission to build
a safe and efficient highway transportation system in the 21st century. Working
closely with others in State and local transportation agencies, FHWA division
personnel provide advice, guidance, and technical assistance on all phases of
highway planning, design, construction, and maintenance.
Federal Lands Highway Division Offices
The FHWA has three Federal Lands Highway Divisions: Eastern Division—Sterling,
Virginia; Central Division—Denver, Colorado; and Western Division—Vancouver,
Washington. These Divisions provide transportation engineering services to Federal
agencies for the planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation of federally
owned highways and bridges. Such roadways include forest highway system roads,
parkways, national park roads, Indian Reservation roads, Defense Access roads,
and other Federal roads.
Research Center
The FHWA has one of the most advanced research facilities in the world, the
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia (near Washington,
DC). The research center performs a significant role in testing new highway
construction materials and methods, as well as developing and evaluating the
latest highway safety and traffic control technologies. The center provides
laboratory facilities for FHWA staff and grant and contract researchers. During
your FHWA career, you may have the opportunity to work in the research center.
International Assignments
There are opportunities for personnel to work in our Office of International
Programs or in a number of international assignments. The FHWA has contributed
to the development of highway systems and programs in more than 70 nations,
sharing technical advice and providing assistance. Through its technology transfer
programs, the FHWA exchanges research findings and experience with other nations,
which benefits the global transportation community. Such international projects
provide FHWA personnel the opportunity to work and live outside the United States.
