Highways for LIFE Incentive Funding for Federal-aid Projects Application

Highways for Life Project Application

Instructions

Please provide complete descriptions and answers to the application form. All cells must be completed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mary Huie of the Highways for LIFE (HfL) Team at (202) 366-3039 or e-mail mary.huie@dot.gov. If you have questions about Grant.Gov, feel free to contact Carol Huber at (202) 366-2475 or e-mail carol.huber@dot.gov.

Burden Statement - This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to select projects for funding with Highways for LIFE program funds. Public reporting burden is estimated to average 8 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The purpose of HfL is to accelerate the rate of adoption of innovations and technologies, thereby, improving safety and highway quality while reducing congestion caused by construction. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 2125-0607.

General Information – Provide the fiscal year for the project application, SHA contact person & information, application date, SHA, project information, and congressional district information.

Section 1. Project Description

a) Purpose of Project – Provide a general description of the purpose of the project and location (highway /street, county, city, and state).

b) Type of Work – Provide a general list of the project work (i.e. grading, structures, surfacing type, etc.).

c) Project Scope – Provide the scope of some of the major items of work for the project (i.e. length of project, number of bridge spans, miles/S.Y./Tons of paving, etc). Also include some of the general traffic information (i.e. ADT, % Trucks, etc.).

d) Anticipated FHWA Authorization for Construction date – Provide the date that the FHWA Division Office is estimated to authorize the project for construction.

e) Allotted Construction Time – Provide the specified project completion date or contract time. Always estimate and provide the approximate date that the project can be anticipated start and complete (i.e. Est. Start-Spring 2007, Est. Completion-Fall 2009) on working/calendar day contracts and indicate that the time is estimated.

f) Estimated calendar days that motorists will be impacted by construction – Provide an estimate of the number of calendar days the traveling public will be impacted by the construction.

g) Time of day motorists will be impacted by the construction – Provide information like: daylight only, night only, 11 PM to 5AM. There may be different requirements depending on the phase of work that may need to be addressed (i.e. Phase 1 – daylight only & Phase 2 – 11 PM to 5 AM).

h) Type and extent of public information or involvement proposed to be made prior to and during construction (200 words) – Provide a description of the public information dissemination/involvement activities that are planned for the project or anticipated to be used.

Section 2. Highways for Life Incentives

Provide the SHA’s request from the available funding options. There are three options available to the SHA. The options are:

• Option 1: The State may request HfL funding of up to 20% of the total cost of a construction project as outlined in SAFETEA-LU. The maximum HfL funding available for any one project is $5M. The HfL funds may be applied to the non-Federal share of the cost of construction. Based on funding limitations it is unlikely any project will be given the maximum amount. It is anticipated that individual project funding levels will be in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000 per project. This HfL funding would be in addition to the State apportionment. 

• Option 2: For projects carried out using funds apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(1)-(4) of title 23, United States Code, (i.e. NHS, CMAQ, STP, and IM funds), the State may request the Federal share be adjusted up to 100%. The funding category proposed in the nomination must meet the program funding eligibility requirements. However, not more than 10% of total of any one particular apportioned Federal Aid fund can be applied to the HfL project.  

• Option 3: The State may request a combination of both Option 1 and Option 2.  

Section 3. Innovative Features

a) Describe the innovative technologies, manufacturing processes, financing, contracting methods, etc. that will be included in the project (300 words or less) – Provide a brief description of the appropriate innovations or practices that will be utilized on the project. These should be innovations or features that are not routinely used within your SHA.

b) Describe any roadway safety issues in the project area, including crash history, crash potential, etc. Identify how project and innovative features will improve safety during and/or after construction (300 words or less) – Provide a brief description of the history and appropriate innovations or practices that will be utilized on the project and how the innovations or practices will improve safety during and/or after construction. These should be innovations or features that are not routinely used within your SHA.

c) Identify the improvements, innovations, incentives that will be included as part of the project to reduce construction congestion (300 words or less) – Provide a brief description of the innovative technologies or practices that will be utilized on the project and their anticipated application to reduce the construction congestion. Construction congestion is all traveling public affected by the project and will include, but is not limited to: detour traffic, construction traffic, materials delivery traffic, alternative route traffic, etc.

d) Identify how implementation of the proposed innovative feature will improve the quality as experienced by the driver, both during and after construction (300 words or less) – Provide a brief description of quality innovation and describe how it will improve the experience of the traveling public or driver (i.e. longer lasting material may reduce the maintenance activities on the roadway thus improving the experience of the traveling public).

e) Will technical support be requested – Provide the type of technical support that may be necessary for the successful implementation of the innovations or practices. This could be workshops, training, peer-to-peer exchange, technical expert, technical support, etc. The intent is that FHWA is committed to providing the SHA the necessary tools to accomplish acceleration of the rate of adoption of innovations and technologies.

Section 4 – Performance Goals

a) Safety: Work Zone, Worker, Facility – Performance goals have been established in each area. If the SHA does not choose to use the performance goals listed, the SHA must provide an explanation of their proposed goals and justify why the proposed goals should be used on this project (200 words or less). All performance goals must be measurable.

b) Construction Congestion: Faster Construction, Trip Time or Queue Length – Performance goals have been established in each area. The SHA will be allowed two different options to measure the traffic during construction (Trip Time or Queue Length) and only one option is required. If the SHA does not choose to use the performance goals listed, the SHA must provide an explanation of their proposed goals and justify why the proposed goals should be used on this project (200 words or less). All performance goals must be measurable.

c) Quality: Smoothness, Noise, Other – Performance goals have been established in each area. There may be other performance goals that are better suited to measure quality and will be considered. If the SHA does not choose to use the performance goals listed, the SHA must provide an explanation of their proposed goals and justify why the proposed goals should be used on this project (200 words or less). All performance goals must be measurable.

Section 5

Provide a list of standard procedures or specifications that must and will be superseded or waived in order to implement the innovation/technology or provide the contractor with the flexibility needed to achieve the performance goals at a reasonable cost (200 words or less).

Section 6

Identify how the successful implementation of the innovative features listed will lead to change in the administration of the SHA program (i.e. changes decision-making, standard procedure, specification, etc.) (200 words or less).

Section 7

Provide other information or innovative features about the project that should be considered in the selection process (200 words or less).