Companion Guide to Video August 2012

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

Have you ever been late to work, school or an 

appointment because you were stuck in traffic 

caused by road work? Regardless of whether 

you live in an urban or rural area, traffic delays 

and potential safety problems in construction 

work zones are frustrating. 

Greater attention must be paid to the impact that 

work zone congestion can have on the safety of 

road users, highway workers, businesses and 

communities. 

To help agencies, such as local public agencies 

(LPAs), address and mitigate this impact, a welldesigned transportation management plan, or 

TMP, is required for all Federal-aid projects. 

The transportation management plan concept 

was developed to proactively address traffic and 

safety impacts both within and around the 

construction work zone. A TMP lays out a set of 

coordinated strategies and describes how they 

will be used to enhance traffic operations and 

safety. 

Two keys to a successful TMP are: 

• Developing the TMP as early as possible 

• Using a collaborative, multidisciplinary 

approach so that various transportation 

specialists and stakeholders can build upon 

each other’s strategies and solutions

The initial planning begins during the scoping 

and environmental evaluation phase of your 

project. Addressing the work zone impacts as 

early as possible allows you to adjust your 

construction strategies and budget for them, 

while updating the TMP with greater detail 

throughout the project’s development.

When your project is ready for construction, the 

plans, specifications and estimates package 

submitted for Federal funds authorization must 

include a TMP or provisions for the contractor to 

develop one based on your TMP requirements. 

If the contractor develops the 

TMP, the LPA must approve an 

acceptable plan.

Project Construction and Contract Administration

Safety and Operations

Transportation Management Plan Requirements

A well-designed traffic management plan can help minimize 

congestion, safety risks, and other work zone impacts
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

Specific benefits of a comprehensive TMP can 

include:

• Promoting coordination of stakeholders and 

traffic mitigation strategies 

• Minimizing traffic delays, along with the 

associated costs and air quality problems

• Increasing worker and motorist safety

• Improving public awareness of 

transportation options 

• Enhancing communications with the 

traveling public, local businesses and 

communities. This can lead to fewer 

complaints

The components of a TMP depend on whether a 

project is expected to generate significant traffic 

impacts greater than allowed under your 

agency’s policy. The more significant the impact, 

the more detailed the TMP should be. For 

projects expected to have significant impacts, 

the TMP consists of three parts: a temporary 

traffic control plan, a transportation operations 

component, and a public information 

component. 

The temporary traffic control plan addresses 

traffic safety and control through the work zone 

with devices such as signs, orange drums, and 

temporary barriers. 

The transportation operations component 

considers higher-level strategies to mitigate 

traffic both within and around the work zone. 

These strategies might include transit service 

improvements, coordination with adjacent 

construction projects, variable work hours, tow 

service patrols, or signal-timing improvements.

The public information component contains 

strategies for improving communications with 

motorists, the public and concerned 

stakeholders. Strategies could include public 

alerts to potential traffic problems and how to 

avoid them, and community task forces to 

provide feedback on project impacts.

For projects not deemed to have significant 

impacts, the TMP may consist of only a 

temporary traffic control plan. However, the 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

encourages LPAs to consider transportation 

operations and public information strategies for 

these projects as well. 

Let’s use a project example to clarify some of 

these concepts. Suppose your agency has 

decided to replace the bridge on the major road 

into town and has determined that the work zone 

will cause a significant impact to the community 

and businesses. During the environmental 

evaluation, you begin to develop a transportation 

management plan that includes the temporary 

traffic control plan, plus the traffic operations and 

public information components.

As the project moves through development, a 

multi-disciplinary team considers alternative 

traffic control plans and seeks input from local 

stakeholders. The team asks:

• Can the bridge construction be phased so 

that a portion of the bridge can remain open 

to traffic? 

• Can a temporary bridge be built, or a bypass 

constructed?

• Must all traffic follow a detour? 

• To develop the traffic operations component, 

the team considers these questions:

• Will the construction create long lines and 

wait times and can project phasing relieve 

this congestion? 

• If a bypass is used, what is the effect on the 

nearby residents and businesses? 

• How will this project affect businesses, 

school bus routes, and emergency services 

and what must be done to minimize these 

impacts? 

The team prepares a public information plan by 

asking the basic question, how can we inform 

the residents and the public about the project, 

possible impacts, and travel options during the 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

construction period? Some strategies to 

consider include public meetings, a project Web 

site, social media, radio and newspaper 

announcements, flyers, and changeable 

message signs. 

The team will continue to assess and adjust 

strategy options throughout design and 

construction of the project, regularly evaluating 

each alternative based on cost, impacts to the 

traveling public and constructability.

A transportation management plan 

is required for all Federal-aid 

projects. 

Check with your State department of 

transportation, or State DOT, for further 

guidance and policies for preparing the TMP.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The content of this 

document is not a 

substitute for 

information obtained 

from State departments 

of transportation, 

appropriate FHWA 

Division Offices, and 

applicable laws. 

Scenarios have been 

simplified for emphasis 

and do not necessarily 

reflect the actual range of 

requirements applicable 

to the scenario or this 

topic. This document

was created under 

contract number

DTFH63-12-D-00025 by 

the Federal Highway 

Administration, U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation, and is 

offered to the public to 

heighten and focus 

awareness of Federal-aid 

requirements within the 

local public agencies 

community and 

reinforces the 

importance of these 

necessary policies, 

procedures, and 

practices.

This companion resource 

is the script content for 

the video production of 

the same name. 

Additional Resources

• Guidance on how to develop and implement a transportation management 

plan

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/trans_mgmt_plans

• Information on resources for developing a transportation management plan

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule/tmp_examples/tmp_de

v_resources.htm

• FHWA regulations covering work zone safety and mobility

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr&sid=290fc6120445390597f08cbae47b02d8&rgn=div6&view=text

&node=23:1.0.1.7.21.9&idno=23

• FHWA regulations covering temporary traffic control devices

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi/t/text/textidx?c=ecfr;sid=ac50c6fdef0382eaaf0e2aeffd84f2fc;rgn=div6;view=text;node

=23%3A1.0.1.7.21.10;idno=23;cc=ecfr

• Link to the MUTCD, including the section on temporary devices used during 

construction.

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/