1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

1 

In Reply Refer To: 

HSST-1/WZ-446 

Greg Spear

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products 

10706 West Grand Ave, 

Franklin Park, IL 60131 

United States of America 

Dear Mr. Spear: 

We received your correspondence of December 28, 2021 requesting issuance of a reimbursement 

eligibility letter under the Federal-aid highway program for the roadside safety system, device, 

design, product, or hardware (collectively “device”) described below. This letter is assigned 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) control number WZ-446. 

ELIGIBILITY LETTERS

The FHWA issues Federal-aid reimbursement eligibility letters for new roadside safety devices

that are crash tested in accordance with the industry standard of the American Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware 

(MASH). 

FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States (government) do not regulate 

roadside safety devices, crash test facilities, or the manufacturing industry. Issuance of 

eligibility letters is discretionary and provided only as a service to the states. FHWA may, at its 

discretion, decline to issue, revise, or rescind an eligibility letter. Eligibility letters are only 

issued by the FHWA headquarters Office of Safety. 

Eligibility letters are issued only as notice to the states that a device is eligible for reimbursement 

under the Federal-aid highway program. They do not establish approval or certification for any 

other purpose. Issuance of an eligibility letter is not a prerequisite or requirement for state 

transportation agencies seeking to use Federal-aid funds for roadside safety devices. State 

agencies may use a device for which an eligibility letter has not been issued and seek Federal-aid 

reimbursement. 

FEDERAL-AID REIMBURSEMENT

The request for issuance of this letter certified the device was crash tested in accordance with the 

industry standard of AASHTO’s MASH. This eligibility letter is based on that certification and 

the material offered in support of its issuance. The device described below is eligible for 

reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program. 

August 15, 2022
2 

Name of system: Cortina Trailblazer XL 

Type of system: Work Zone 

Test Level: Test Level 3

 Testing conducted by: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC 

Date of request: December 28, 2021 

Information about the device, including material such as the eligibility request, crash test reports, 

drawings, or images are included in one or more attachment(s) to this letter. 

Eligibility letter WZ-446 is inapplicable to devices, optional equipment, alternate materials, or 

other features that were not crash tested in accordance with AASHTO’s MASH. 

This letter is issued only for the subject device as crash tested under AASHTO’s MASH. Later 

modification(s) of the device are not eligible for Federal-aid reimbursement under this letter. 

Notice of later modification(s) should be given to transportation agencies, facility owners, and 

operators (collectively “agencies”). 

Agencies should be provided appropriate information about the device’s design, installation, 

maintenance, materials, and mechanical properties. 

 

Issuance of this letter is discretionary, and it may be revised or rescinded at FHWA’s discretion. 

This letter is not a determination of compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) or ownership of any intellectual property rights. 

This eligibility letter is not a determination by the government that a crash involving the subject 

device will result in any particular outcome. It is limited to only the device’s eligibility for 

Federal-aid reimbursement. 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

Issuance of this eligibility letter does not convey property rights of any sort nor any exclusive 

privilege. This letter is not authorization or consent by the government for the use, manufacture, 

or sale of any patented or proprietary system, device, design, product, or hardware for which the 

requester is not the patent owner. Eligibility letters are not an expression of any view, position, 

or determination by the government as to the validity, scope, or ownership of any intellectual 

property rights to a specific device. These letters do not grant, impute, suggest, or otherwise 

establish any ownership, distribution, or licensing rights to the requester. The government 

expresses no opinion about the intellectual property rights relating to any device for which this or 

any other eligibility letter is issued. 

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

To prevent any misunderstanding, and as discussed above, this eligibility letter is assigned 

FHWA control number WZ-446. It should only be reproduced in full with its attachment(s). 

This letter and the material offered by the requester supporting its issuance is public information. 

All eligibility letters and supporting material are subject to public disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA). Eligibility letters are available to the public at 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/countermeasures/reduce_crash_severity/. 

If you have any questions please contact Aimee Zhang at Aimee.Zhang@dot.gov. 

Sincerely, 

Michael S. Griffith 

Director, Office of Safety Technologies 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

3 
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Request for Federal Aid Reimbursement Eligibility

of Highway Safety Hardware

Submitter

 Date of Request: December 28, 2021 New Resubmission

Name: Greg Spear

Company: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products

Address: 10706 West Grand Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131

Country: United States of America

 To: Michael S. Griffith, Director 

FHWA, Office of Safety Technologies 

I request the following devices be considered eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid 

highway program.

Device & Testing Criterion - Enter from right to left starting with Test Level ! - ! - !

System Type Submission Type Device Name / Variant Testing Criterion Test 

Level

'WZ': Crash Worthy Work 

Zone Traffic Control Devices

Physical Crash Testing

Engineering Analysis

Cortina Trailblazer XL

AASHTO MASH TL3

By submitting this request for review and evaluation by the Federal Highway Administration, I certify 

that the product(s) was (were) tested in conformity with the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety 

Hardware and that the evaluation results meet the appropriate evaluation criteria in the MASH.

Individual or Organization responsible for the product:

Contact Name: Greg Spear Same as Submitter

Company Name: The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products Same as Submitter

Address: 10706 West Grand Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

Enter below all disclosures of financial interests as required by the FHWA `Federal-Aid Reimbursement 

Eligibility Process for Safety Hardware Devices' document.

The Cortina Companies, Cortina Safety Products is the manufacturer and marketer of device. 

Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC (IDIADA KARCO) is an independent research and testing laboratory 

having no affiliation with any other entity. IDIADA KARCO is actively Involved In data acquisition and 

compliance/certification testing for a variety of government agencies and equipment manufacturers. The 

principals and staff of IDIADA KARCO have no past or present financial, contractual or organizational interest in 

any company or entity directly or indirectly related to the products that KARCO tests. If any financial interest 

should arise, other than receiving fees for testing, reporting, etc., with respect to any project, the company will 

provide, In writing, a full and immediate disclosure to the FHWA. 
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Page of 2 4

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

New Hardware or 

Significant Modification

Modification to 

Existing Hardware

Product Description of The Cortina Companies Trailblazer XL. 

The Trailblazer XL is a work-zone traffic control device. 

Further Description: 

The as-tested device consisted of a vertical panel, rubber base, and optional standard D-cell barricade light. 

One (1) standard D-cell barricade light was used during testing. The as-tested device had a total assembled 

weight of 36.0 lbs (16.3 kg). 

The vertical panel is constructed of polyethylene and measures 44.6 in. (1.1 m) tall by 15.0 in. (381 mm) wide by 

9.1 in. (231 mm) long. The rubber base measures 22.125 in. (562 mm) wide by 18.5 in. (470 mm) long by 3.0 in. 

(76 mm) tall. When assembled, the vertical panel and rubber base has a height of 47.6 in. (1.2 m). 

CRASH TESTING

By signature below, the Engineer affiliated with the testing laboratory, agrees in support of this submission that 

all of the critical and relevant crash tests for this device listed above were conducted to meet the MASH test 

criteria. The Engineer has determined that no other crash tests are necessary to determine the device meets 

the MASH criteria.

Engineer Name: Noah Partida

Engineer Signature: 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

 A brief description of each crash test and its result:

Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-70 (1100C)

Test 3-70 is designed to evaluate the ability 

of a small vehicle to activate any breakaway, 

fracture, or yielding mechanism. It is 

considered optional for work-zone traffic 

control devices weighing less than 220 lbs 

(100 kg). The as-tested device weighed 36 

lbs (16.3 kg) and therefore Test 70 was not 

performed.

Non-Relevant Test, not conducted
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Required Test 

Number

Narrative 

Description

Evaluation 

Results

3-71 (1100C)

An 1100C test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph. The 

first Trailblazer XL was impacted at 0° and 

the second at 90°. The test vehicle impacted 

the 0° CIA device at a speed of 64.62 mph 

(103.99 km/h).Upon impact of the 0° 

Trailblazer XL the vertical panel deformed 

around the vehicle’s front end and 

detached from its rubber base. The 

barricade light impacted the vehicle’s hood 

and broke into pieces. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and no 

deformation occurred to the test vehicle. 

The test vehicle impacted the 90° CIA device

at a velocity of 63.41 mph (102.04 km/h).

Upon impact of the 90° Trailblazer XL The 

vertical panel deformed around the 

vehicle’s front end and detached from the 

rubber base. The barricade light remained 

attached to the vertical panel. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and no 

deformation occurred to the test vehicle. 

The devices did not induce any vehicle 

instability. The Trailblazer XL met all the 

requirements for MASH Test 3-71.

PASS

3-72 (2270P)

A 2270P test vehicle approached the test 

article at a nominal speed of 62 mph. The 

first Trailblazer XL was impacted at 0° and 

the second at 90°. The test vehicle impacted 

the 0° CIA device at a speed of 62.01 mph 

(99.79 km/h). Upon impact of the 0° 

Trailblazer XL the vertical panel deformed 

around the vehicle’s front end and 

detached from its rubber base. The 

barricade light impacted the vehicle’s hood 

and broke into pieces. The occupant 

compartment was not penetrated and no 

deformation occurred to the test vehicle. 

The test vehicle impacted the 90° CIA device

at a velocity of 60.98 mph (98.14 km/h). 

Upon impact of the 90° the vertical panel 

deformed around the vehicle’s front end 

and detached from the rubber base. The 

barricade light remained attached to the 

vertical panel. The occupant compartment 

was not penetrated and no deformation 

occurred to the test vehicle.. The devices 

did not induce any vehicle instability. The 

Trailblazer XL met all the requirements for 

MASH Test 3-72.

PASS
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Full Scale Crash Testing was done in compliance with MASH by the following accredited crash test 

laboratory (cite the laboratory’s accreditation status as noted in the crash test reports.):

Laboratory Name: Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering, LLC.

Laboratory Signature: 

Address: 9270 Holly Road, Adelanto, CA 92301 Same as Submitter

Country: United States of America Same as Submitter

Accreditation Certificate 

Number and Dates of current 

Accreditation period :

TL 371: July 1, 2019 - July 1, 2022

Submit Form

ATTACHMENTS

Attach to this form: 

1) Additional disclosures of related financial interest as indicated above. 

2) A copy of the full test report, video, and a Test Data Summary Sheet for each test conducted in 

support of this request. 

3) A drawing or drawings of the device(s) that conform to the Task Force-13 Drawing Specifications 

[Hardware Guide Drawing Standards]. For proprietary products, a single isometric line drawing is 

usually acceptable to illustrate the product, with detailed specifications, intended use, and contact 

information provided on the reverse. Additional drawings (not in TF-13 format) showing details that 

are relevant to understanding the dimensions and performance of the device should also be submitted 

to facilitate our review. 

 

 

 

 

FHWA Official Business Only:

Eligibility Letter

Number Date Key Words
13 TR-P40323-01-D 

MASH 2016 Test 3-71 Summary

0° CIA 90° CIA

0.000 seconds 0.060 seconds 0.120 seconds 0.650 seconds 0.710 seconds 0.770 seconds

GENERAL INFORMATION

Test Agency.....................Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering

Test Number.....................P40323-01

Test Designation............... 3-71

Test Date.........................1/7/21

TEST ARTICLE

Name / Model.....................Cortina Trailblazer XL

Type.................................Work-Zone Traffic Control Device

Device Height .................. 4.6 ft. (1.4 m)

Key Elements.....................Polyethylene panel, rubber base, light

Road Surface.....................Smooth, clean Concrete

TEST VEHICLE

Type / Designation............ 1100C

Year, Make, and Model.........2016 Kia Rio

Curb Mass........................2,528.7 lbs (1,147.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass...............2,449.3 lbs (1,111.0 kg)

Gross Static Mass...............2,622.4 lbs (1,189.5 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1......64.62 mph (103.99 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2......63.41 mph (102.04 km/h)

15.9 in. (404 mm) From Vehicle Device 1 Location/ Orientation.........Center Line on Passenger Side

14.7 in. (373 mm) From Vehicle Device 2 Location/ Orientation.........Center Line on Driver Side

Device 1 Angle..................0.0°

Device 2 Angle..................90.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy......341.9 kip-feet (463.5 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy......329.2 kip-feet (446.3 Kilojoules)

Minimum KE Required....... 288 kip-feet (390 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity.........63.76 mph (102.6 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity.........61.99 mph (99.8 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position......299.1 ft. (91.2 m) Downstream

1.2 ft. (0.4 m) Left

Vehicle Stability ............... Satisfactory

0° - Maximum Roll Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle... Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Roll Angle...Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle...Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV...........................Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral RA...........................Not Applicable*

THIV....................................Not Applicable*

PHD....................................Not Applicable*

ASI.................................... Not Applicable*

Test Article Deflections

0° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal)........... 105.8 ft. (32.2 m)

0° Sign Debris Field (lateral)............20.2 ft. (6.2 m)

90° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal)......... 102.8 ft. (31.3 m)

90° Sign Debris Field (lateral)..........31.4 ft. (9.6 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale............12-FC-1

CDC....................................12FDEN1

Maximum Deformation............MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0.0 mm

* Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg)

Figure 2: Summary of Test 3-71
13 TR-P40324-01-E 

MASH 2016 Test 3-72 Summary

 0° CIA 90° CIA 

0.000 seconds 0.060 seconds 0.120 seconds 0.650 seconds 0.710 seconds 0.770 seconds

GENERAL INFORMATION

Test Agency.....................Applus IDIADA KARCO Engineering

Test Number.....................P40324-01

Test Designation............... 3-72

Test Date.........................1/11/21

TEST ARTICLE

Name / Model.....................Cortina Traiblazer XL

Type.................................Work-Zone Traffic Control Device

Device Height .................. 4.6 ft. (1.4 m)

Key Elements.....................Polyethylene

Road Surface.....................Smooth, clean concrete

TEST VEHICLE

Type / Designation...............2270P

Year, Make, and Model.........2015 RAM 1500

Curb Mass........................5,044.1 lbs (2,288.0 kg)

Test Inertial Mass...............5,026.5 lbs (2,280.0 kg)

Gross Static Mass...............5,026.5 lbs (2,280.0 kg)

Impact Conditions

Impact Velocity Device 1...... 62.01 mph (99.79 km/h)

Impact Velocity Device 2...... 60.98 mph (98.14 km/h)

Device 1 Location/ Orientation............ 16.3 in. (414 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Driver Side

Device 2 Location/ Orientation............ 20.5 in. (521 mm) From Vehicle 

Centerline on Passenger Side

Device 1 Angle.....................0.0°

Device 2 Angle.....................90.0°

Device 1 Kinetic Energy.........646.0 kip-feet (875.9 Kilojoules)

Device 2 Kinetic Energy.........624.9 kip-feet (847.2 Kilojoules)

Minimum KE Required....... 594 kip-feet (806 Kilojoules)

Exit Conditions

Device 1 Exit Velocity............61.09 mph (98.3 km/h)

Device 2 Exit Velocity............59.54 mph (95.8 km/h)

Vehicle Resting Position.........359.3 ft. (109.5 m) Downstream

2.5 ft. (0.8 m) Left

Vehicle Stability ..................Satisfactory

0° - Maximum Roll Angle...... Did Not Exceed 75°

0° - Maximum Pitch Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Roll Angle......Did Not Exceed 75°

90° - Maximum Pitch Angle... Did Not Exceed 75°

Occupant Risk

Longitudinal OIV.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral OIV...........................Not Applicable*

Longitudinal RA.....................Not Applicable*

Lateral RA...........................Not Applicable*

THIV....................................Not Applicable*

PHD....................................Not Applicable*

ASI.................................... Not Applicable*

Test Article Deflections

0° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal).. 178.6 ft. (54.4 m)

0° Sign Debris Field (lateral)...... 29.2 ft. (8.9 m)

90° Sign Debris Field (longitudinal)...... 186.2 ft. (56.7 m)

90° Sign Debris Field (lateral)... 28.6 ft. (8.7 m)

Vehicle Damage

Vehicle Damage Scale............12-FC-1

CDC....................................12FDEN1

Maximum Deformation............MASH Deformation Limits Not 

Exceeded (0.0 in.) 0.0 mm

* Not Applicable, device weighs less than 220 lbs (100 kg)

Figure 2 Summary of Test 3-72
OPTIONAL STANDARD D-CELL

BARRICADE LIGHT

SHEET 1 OF 1

1.) Made using HDPE

2.) Available in White, Black, Orange and Lime Green

2.) Accepts one (1) standard D-Cell Barricade Light

3.) Available with all grades of reflective sheeting

4.) For use with 15#, 20#, and 30# recycled rubber bases

SEE PRICE LIST FOR COMPLETE OFFERING

COMPANY INFORMATION

CORTINA SAFETY PRODUCTS GROUP

10706 W. GRAND AVE.

FRANKLIN PARK, ILLINOIS 60131

WWW.CORTINACO.COM

PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS THE

SOLE PROPERTY OF CORTINA SAFETY PRODUCTS GROUP.

ANY REPRODUCTION IN PART OR AS A WHOLE WITHOUT THE

WRITTEN PERMISSION OF CORTINA SAFETY PRODUCTS

GROUP IS PROHIBITED.

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED

DIMENSIONS ARE IN INCHES

TOLERANCES:

FRACTIONAL±1/32

ANGULAR: MACH±.001 BEND ± .5◦

TWO PLACE DECIMAL ±.050

THREE PLACE DECIMAL ±.005

HDPE

FINISH

ORANGE WITH HIGHT INTENSITY

PRISMATIC SHEETING

DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

NAME DATE

DRAWN SMB 10/07/19

CHECKED SMB

ENGAPPR. SMB

MFG APPR. JMG

Q.A. MS

COMMENTS:

DRAWING IS FOR

REPRESENTATION PURPOSES

ONLY. DO NOT SCALE

TRAILBLAZER XL

SIZE

A

DWG. NO.

10192018-1

REV.

1

SCALE:1:6 WEIGHT: 4LBS