Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: How do I obtain a U.S. DOT number for my commercial carrier business?

A: The issuance of commercial carrier business numbers is handled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Their website is http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/. The local Tennessee office�s phone number is (615)-781-5781.

Q: How are projects selected?

A: Determining which projects will be federally funded is a state and local agency decision. The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) ranks and prioritizes projects throughout the state. Within the larger urban areas, the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) utilize a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to prioritize projects within their area, which is then incorporated unchanged into the STIP.

Q: When is a project considered FHWA oversight project?

A: The Tennessee Division office selects projects based on the stewardship and oversight agreement between the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Tennessee Division, and a risk based analysis. Projects with higher costs, potential controversy, experimental features, innovative construction or contracting methods, major structures and any project with a cost exceeding $500 million are typically selected. However, any project receiving federal funds can be selected as an oversight project.

Q: What is the Federal Highway Administration's definition of a bridge?

A: A structure, including supports, erected over a depression or an obstruction, such as water, a highway, or a railway, having a track or passageway for carrying traffic or other moving loads and having an opening measured along the center of the roadway of more than 20 feet between undercopings of abutments or spring lines of arches, or extreme ends of the openings for multiple boxes; it may include multiple pipes where the clear distance between openings is less than half of the smaller contiguous opening.