Economic Recovery Home > Questions & Answers > Sign Guidance

[back to question PO-7]

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Sign Guidance

On March 3, 2009 President Obama made the commitment that all projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will bear a recovery emblem to make it easier for Americans to see which projects are funded by the ARRA. To meet this commitment, FHWA strongly encourages agencies to use the economic recovery signs on all projects funded by the ARRA. The following factors should be considered with respect to design and placement of these signs:

Sign Design:

• All economic recovery sign design layout and color should be similar to the sign design attached with this guidance.

Sign Placement:

• With respect to placement of traffic control signs, regulatory, warning, and guide signs have a higher priority than the economic recovery signs.

• In no case shall these signs be placed such that it obscure road users' view of other traffic control devices.

• Economic recovery signs should be placed where they can be easily identified with the corresponding projects.

• If the placement of economic recovery signs conflicts with newly installed higher priority signs, or traffic signals, or temporary traffic control devices, or other priority devices, the economic recovery sign should be relocated.

• Due to public safety concerns, economic recovery signs should not be allowed at the following locations:

  • On the front, back, adjacent to or around any traffic control device, including traffic signs, signals, changeable message signs, traffic control device posts or structures, or bridge piers.

  • At key decision points where a driver's attention is more appropriately focused on traffic control devices, roadway geometry, or traffic conditions. These locations include, but are not limited to exit and entrance ramps, intersections controlled by traffic signals or by stop or yield signs, highway-rail grade crossings, and areas of limited sight distance.

• Sign Layout Details, 3/23/2008 (234 KB pdf)
• Recovery Sign files in pdf, eps, dwg, and dgn formats for agencies to use:
  arra_09_0414.zip (3,569 KB)
  File contains:
  1. Individual sign components without dimensions for each of the 120-inch and 84-inch sign designs (for fabrication purposes)
  2. Design detail with dimensions and notes (for inclusion in design drawings)