U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


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Pavements

 

Pavement Design Policy

FHWA's Pavement Policy is defined by (23 CFR 626) Title 23 CFR 626, which states: "Pavement shall be designed to accommodate current and predicted traffic needs in a safe, durable, and cost-effective manner." Regulations do not specify procedures to follow to meet the requirement. Instead, each State highway agency is expected to use a design procedure appropriate for its conditions.

In 2018-2019 FHWA conducted a thorough review of the policy and guidance defined by a listening session, 5 regional peer exchanges, and a national workshop where feedback was obtained from industry, State department of Transportation (DOT) representatives, and FHWA Division Office representatives. Below are links to the summary reports from this outreach effort:

The following activities support FHWA's implementation of the Pavement Design Policy:

Pavement Design Policy Webinar Series ME User Group Linking Pavement Design to Transportation Asset Management Through Pavement Management NEW! 2019-2020 Pavement Design Practices Chapter 2: Pavement Design and Analysis - Pavement Notebook Federal Register Notice Non-Regulatory Supplement Tech Brief: Alternate Pavement Type Selection Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Updated: 01/25/2022
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000