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                Safety Eligibility Letter WZ-300
  
  **Hardware Type:**
            Work Zone Devices
                          **Code:**
            WZ-300
                          **Date:**
            03/10/2011
                          **Testing Criteria:**
            MASH
                          **Manufacturer:**
            Plasticade Products
                          **Device Description:**
            Gemstone Vertical Panel with a lightweight warning light attached
                          **View PDF:**
            wz300.pdf (1.84 MB)
    
    "FHWA Logo"

1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590

March 10, 2011

In Reply Refer To: HSST/WZ-300

Mr. Henry A. Ross
Director of Government Relations
Plasticade Products
7700 N. Austin Avenue
Skokie, Illinois 600

Dear Mr. Ross:

This is in response to your October 8, 2010, letter requesting the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) acceptance of your company’s GemstoneTM Vertical Panel with a lightweight warning light attached as a crashworthy traffic control device for use in work zones and elsewhere on the National Highway System (NHS). Accompanying your letter was the FHWA Office of Safety Design form indicating successful performance when tested under the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Hardware Test 3-71 (modified.)

You requested that we find the GemstoneTM Vertical Panel acceptable for use with lightweight warning lights on the NHS under the provisions of the AASHTO MASH. Evaluation with the 1100C passenger car at low speed (Test 3-70), and the 2270P pickup-truck at high speed (3-72) are requirements under the MASH. Your request was accompanied by a January 17, 2010, letter from E-Tech Testing Services requesting a waiver of both MASH Tests 3-70 and 3-72 because of the nature of the test articles and geometry of the vehicles. We concur in the waiver of these tests.

This letter is the acknowledgement of the FHWA’s acceptance of your request. The original completed form has been modified by the addition of the FHWA acceptance letter number and the date of our review. The form, of which a copy is enclosed for reference, will be posted on our Web site in the near future.

Sincerely yours,

			*/* Signature of Michael S. Griffith */*

			Michael S. Griffith
			Director, Office of Safety Technologies
			Office of Safety U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Highway Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

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