Frequently Asked Questions

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

The Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMSCA) office in Puerto Rico is not co-located with the Division Office. Although we share the same building, our offices are separate.
The FMSCA Puerto Rico office is located at 350 Carlos Chardon Ave.Suite 207, San Juan, PR 00918.
Phone: 787-766-5050. Fax: 787-766-5015. Their website is http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

How are projects selected?

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.

When is a project is considered FHWA oversight project?

The projects are selected based on the risk criteria. The risk factors include projects on the NHS with higher cost but may be off the NHS, controversial projects with an EIS, experimental or pilot projects, innovative construction, major structures, and all major cost projects.

When does Puerto Rico DOT send a Contract Modification to FHWA?

FHWA reviews all contract modifications to a full-oversight project when there is any change in scope, time, or cost regardless of amount. All major changes to a project require prior FHWA approval before work proceeds. Some examples include geometric revisions, time extensions, material type changes and supplemental agreements.

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

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 under copings 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.

Where can I find career opportunities for FHWA?

USAJOBS.gov is the official job site for the U.S. federal government operated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management where you can find the job openings for FHWA.

What Time Zone is Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico is in the Atlantic Time Zone and does not observe daylight saving time.