Emergency Relief Manual
(Federal-Aid Highways)

Interim Update - August 2003

Office of Infrastructure
Office of Program Administration
Federal Highway Administration

Table of Contents

PDF Version (0.6 mb)

1. Introduction
   1. Purpose of Manual
   2. Program Overview
2. Eligibility of Damage Repair Work
   1. General
   2. Eligible Items
      1. Engineering and Right-of-Way
      2. Detours
      3. Traffic Damage
      4. Overlays
      5. Raising Grades
         1. Traditional Flooding
         2. Basin Flooding
      6. Slides
      7. Work on Active Construction Projects
      8. Toll Facilities
      9. Traffic Control Devices
      10. Landscaping
      11. Roadside Appurtenances
      12. Timber and Debris Removal
      13. Transportation System Management (TSM) Strategies
      14. Projects and Project Features Resulting from Environmental Process
      15. Outside of the Highway Right-of-Way
      16. Administrative Expenses
          1. Regular and Extra Employees
          2. Payroll Additives
      17. Supplies and Materials
      18. Equipment
   3. Ineligible Items
      1. Heavy Maintenance
      2. Damage Estimate Under $5,000 per Site
      3. Traffic Damage
      4. Frost Heaving
      5. Applicant - Owned Material
      6. Erosion Damage
      7. Prior Scheduled Work
      8. Mine/Underground Subsidence
      9. Snow and/or Ice Removal
      10. Emergency/Medical Transportation Services
      11. Mitigation/Preventive Work Prior to Disaster
      12. Catastrophic Failure from Internal Cause
   4. Emergency Repairs VS. Permanent Repairs
      1. Emergency Repairs
         1. General
         2. Intent of Emergency Repairs
         3. Federal Share (180-Day Period)
      2. Permanent repairs
         1. General
         2. Restoration in Kind
         3. Replacement in Kind
         4. Deficient Bridges
         5. Replacement of Culverts
         6. Betterments
3. Emergency Relief Application Process
   1. Method 1 - Traditional
      1. Preliminary Steps
      2. Disaster Assessment
      3. Formal State Request for ER Funding and Field Report
      4. Length of Time to Develop Application
      5. Division Administrator's Finding
   2. Method 2 - Traditional (Expedited)
      1. Preliminary Steps
      2. Disaster Assessment
      3. Formal State Request for ER Funding & Field Report
      4. Length of Time to Develop Application
      5. Division Administrator's Finding
      6. Detailed Damage Inspections
   3. Method 3 - Quick Release
      1. Preliminary Steps
      2. Disaster Assessment
      3. Formal State Request for ER Funding & Field Report
      4. Length of time to Develop Application
      5. Division Administrator's Finding
      6. Detailed Damage Inspections
      7. Additional Considerations
   4. Two Disasters Treated As One
   5. Flow Chart
4. Preliminary Steps
   1. Letter of Intent
   2. Acknowledgment Letter
   3. Governor's Proclamation
      1. Basic Criteria
      2. Timing of the Proclamation
      3. Relationship to President's Declaration
      4. Concurrence by the Division Administrator
5. Disaster Assessment and Damage Survey Summary Report
   1. Purpose
   2. Logistics/Mobilization
      1. Disaster Coordination Engineer
      2. Division Office Orientation
      3. Resource Evaluation
   3. Coordination with other Agencies
      1. Policy
      2. State Department of Transportation
   4. Damage Assessments
      1. Detailed Damage Inspections
         1. Documentation
         2. Disaster Inspection Teams
      2. Windshield Inspections
         1. Scope of Review
         2. Record-keeping
         3. Supplemental Information
      3. Damage Assessments for Quick Release
   5. Damage Survey Summary Report
      1. Purpose
      2. Damage Survey Summary Report Preparation/Content
      3. Damage Survey Report Submissions
      4. Summary of Other Required Documents
      5. Exception
6. Project Procedures and Requirements
   1. General
   2. Fund Management
   3. Federal share
   4. Preparation and Submission of Programs
   5. Approval of Programs and Project Authorizations
   6. Advancing Projects During ER Program Funding Shortages
      1. Previously Approved ER Events
      2. ER Events Awaiting A Division Administrator Finding
      3. General Comments
   7. Project Oversight
   8. Combined Federal-aid and Emergency Relief
   9. Construction Start Deadline (Time Extensions)
   10. FHWA as the Construction Agency
   11. Project Designations and Numbering
   12. Disaster Code
   13. Construction Contracts/Force Accounts
       1. Emergency Repairs
          1. Force Account
          2. Solicited Contract
          3. Negotiated Contract
       2. Permanent Repairs
       3. Techniques to Accelerate Projects
          1. Cost-Plus-Time Bidding
          2. Lane Rental
          3. Design-Build
          4. Abbreviated Plans and Shortened Advertisement Period for Bids
          5. Short List of Qualified Contractors
       4. Contract Requirements
          1. Davis-Bacon Act
          2. Buy America
          3. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE)
          4. Americans with Disability Act (ADA)
          5. Convict Labor
   14. Environmental Considerations
   15. Design Standards
   16. State Emergency Manual

1. Appendix A - Sample State Letter of Intent
2. Appendix B - Sample FHWA Acknowledgment Letter
3. Appendix C - Sample Governor's Proclamation
4. Appendix D - Detailed Damage Inspection Report Form
5. Appendix E - Sample State Letter for Quick Release of ER Funds
6. Appendix F - Sample State Letter Requesting ER Funds