1

Federal Lands Highway

Federal Highway Administration

People, Partners, Projects
2

The Federal Highway Administration Federal Lands Highway 

Program was established to promote effective, efficient, and reliable 

administration for a coordinated improvement program of roads 

and bridges on public lands; to protect and enhance our Nation’s 

natural resources; and to provide needed transportation access for

Native Americans. We serve as an advocate for Federal agencies

and Tribal governments regarding federal and tribal transportation 

issues, and strengthen relationships among state and local 

transportation partners.

The Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH) is relied upon to solve 

problems and manage projects that are wide-ranging in environment, 

geography and complexity, through engineering solutions that are 

context sensitive. We are often confronted by unique engineering 

problems, difficult terrain, challenging work restrictions, and 

uncompromising deadlines.

Whether it is building highly visible and political urban projects, 

constructing roads that are national landmarks, or providing critical 

access on low-volume transportation facilities, FLH is at the forefront 

of consistently delivering distinct, sound, and award-winning 

engineering projects. Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge 

North Carolina

improving transportation access

to and within Federal and Tribal Lands

Front Cover:

New River Gorge National River

West Virginia

Special thanks to the Federal Lands employees responsible for taking the 

majority of the wonderful photographs contained within these pages.
3

Our engineering and technical expertise includes: 

•	 Construction Supervision and Inspection

•	 Consultant and Construction Contract Acquisition

•	 Contract Administration

•	 Design Visualization

•	 Environmental Compliance

•	 Funds Management

•	 Geotechnical Design

•	 Highway and Bridge Design

•	 Hydraulics and Hydrology

•	 Intelligent Transportation Systems

•	 Materials Sampling & Testing

•	 Plans, Specifications and Estimates

•	 Project Management

•	 Program Administration

•	 Road and Bridge Inventory and Inspection

•	 Safety

•	 Survey and Mapping

•	 Technical Assistance

•	 Technology Deployment

•	 Traffic

•	 Transportation Asset Management

•	 Transportation Planning

Geotechnical Engineer

Logging Soil Data From Subsurface Exploration

Buffalo National River

Arkansas

Construction & Structural Engineers

Conducting Bridge Inspection 

Arlington Memorial Bridge

Washington, DC/Virginia

Pavement Engineer

Measuring Asphalt Pavement Rut Depth

Flight 93 National Memorial Ring Road

Pennsylvania

Highway Safety Engineer

Measuring Pavement Edge Slope

Taylor River Road

Gunnison National Forest

Colorado
4

Our most valued asset is our people; they are the key component 

to our continued success. We encourage our employees to build 

diverse skill sets and technical expertise to remain in step with the 

increasing diversity of the Federal Lands Highway Program and our 

partner’s needs.

Resources are shared throughout the Federal Lands Divisions, as 

needed, to assure successful delivery of projects and programs.

Outreach to other transportation and resource agencies in the 

U.S. and abroad fosters the exchange of ideas and the growth of 

technical expertise.

At some project sites we get help from the locals!

Kake, Kupreonof Island

Alaska

we work

where you play

Establishing Survey Point

Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona

Pavement Preservation Program Site Meeting

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Michigan
5

A key strength lies in our ability to assemble experienced teams 

that deliver innovative and timely solutions. Along with the active 

assistance of our Federal, state and local partners, we look for 

opportunities to be creative in advancing programs and projects.

Partner missions and values are reflected in our project approach 

making use of many new and existing initiatives and technologies.

We deploy all transportation industry standards and initiatives and 

utilize innovative contracting methods aimed at shortening project 

delivery, enhancing safety, reducing congestion, and improving 

environmental outcomes.

Highway Design/Hydraulics Project Site Visit

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

California
6

Federal Lands offers opportunities to develop FHWA 

professionals, graduate engineers, and civil engineering students to 

gain practical experience, build expertise and technical credibility in 

a variety of discipline training and rotational assignments. 

We partner with the National Highway Institute to provide trained 

instructors in various core discipline training. 

Federal Lands administers a fully accredited college course on the 

development of highway design and construction projects through a 

combination of classroom and hands-on field instruction.

developing tomorrow’s

transportation workforce

Civil Engineering students 

in the field with Federal 

Lands instructors

 

Virginia

Professional Development Program Engineers

North Cascades National Park

Washington
7

Through our direct involvement in all aspects of planning, project 

development and delivery, we are an instrumental demonstration 

arm of the FHWA helping to ensure and promote that innovation 

and technology will perform in the manner expected. At the 

request of our partners, we offer individualized technical assistance, 

demonstrations and training to advocate for innovation and 

technology improvements.

With our status as a Federal partner we provide program and 

project delivery authority for oversight, NEPA compliance

and procurement.

Federal Lands applies innovative solutions that meet both the 

missions of FHWA and our partner agencies. Implementing 

these innovative solutions affords FHWA the opportunity to learn 

firsthand how well technologies perform once applied.

Federal Lands Geotechnical Engineers conduct

Unstable Slope Asset Management Program Training 

with various Federal partners in attendance.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tennessee

Add another image (Intl. visits/visitors)

Add location info

Federal Lands hosted a delegation of engineering officials representing transportation agencies from South Korea to benchmark Federal Lands 

Project Delivery. An FLH bridge engineer explains concrete segmental box design considerations. 

Virginia
8

Workshop training sessions

on pavement assessment

and gravel road inspection.

FHWA Tribal Transportation Program 

2016 Southwest Region Workshop

Oklahoma

diverse Partners

with diverse needs

Our definition of partner is diverse, ranging from state and territorial 

governments, traditional Federal Agency partners with strong 

resource protection missions, to our Tribal partners, focused on 

building self sufficiency and providing basic access to community 

services and improved quality of life for their people.

Each Federal Lands office provides training, technology 

deployment, engineering services, and products to an increasing 

array of partners and customers often with vastly different missions, 

priorities and approaches. 

GRS-IBS Bridge under Saddle Road

provides military operation access.

Pohakuloa Training Area

Hawaii

Transportation Asset Management Field Work: Federal Lands, National 

Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, 

Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs staff collaborate on development of common road condition data 

collection methodology.

New Mexico

Florida State Route 85 and Eglin Air Force Base Special 

Forces Way - West McWhorter Avenue Interchange

Florida

MISSOURI

ARKANSAS

LOUISIANA

MISSISSIPPI

ILLINOIS

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN

INDIANA

OHIO

WEST

VIRGINIA

PENNSYLVANIA

NEW YORK

VIRGINIA

DC

KENTUCKY

VT NH

MAINE

RI

MASS

CONN

NEW

JERSEY

DELAWARE

MARYLAND

NORTH CAROLINA

TENNESSEE

ALABAMA GEORGIA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

FLORIDA

USVI

PUERTO RICO

WASHINGTON

OREGON

IDAHO

MONTANA

Eastern Federal Lands

Central Federal Lands

Western Federal Lands

WYOMING

NEVADA

CALIFORNIA

UTAH

ARIZONA

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

TEXAS

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA
9

Norfolk Southern double-stacked train travels unobstructed through 

Heartland Corridor.

Virginia

Our greatest responsibility is for the stewardship and oversight of 

Federal funds whether a project is delivered by us directly or

by our partners.

The skill and strength neccessary for facilitating cooperation among 

multiple stakeholders has taken our work in many directions, 

serving the greater transportation community in the management of 

complex public private partnership projects.

Federal Lands has succeeded in building strong relationships with 

the railroad industry via Norfolk Southern and CSX Corporations, 

through the successful completion of the Heartland Corridor 

Clearance Project, Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Program 

and Regional Intermodal Facilities, and the National Gateway 

Corridor Clearance Improvement Program.

We administer the Tribal Program jointly with Bureau of Indian 

Afffairs or directly with the Tribes while also providing technical 

assistance and training. 

Federal Lands Access Program enables two rural counties

to match funds to construct a helipad for emergency 

response access in a remote area of the Forest.

Nantahala National Forest

North Carolina

Boardroads and ATV Trails constructed by local 

Tribes using Tribal Program Funds offer best solutions 

for transportation across the tundra.

Tuntutuliak

Alaska

Cattle Point Road Realignment Project

Washington
10

Design/Build, Top Down Construction, Pre-cast Elements 

Foothills Parkway, Bridge 2

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tennessee

Reconstruction & Rehabilitation, Widening for Shared Use, Full Depth Reclamation, Rockfall Mitigation

Whitney Portal Road

Alabama Hills Recreation Area

California

Pier Reconstruction, Habitat Creation for Protected 

Species & Water Quality Improvement

Trinidad Pier

Trinidad Bay

California

Pavement Preservation

Visitor Center Parking & Access Roads

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

West Virginia

flexible solutions

 suiting unique needs

Federal public roads protect and enhance natural and cultural 

resources, sustain economic development in rural areas, and 

support recreational travel, tourism, resource management and 

electric power generation.
11

Our projects present us with unique engineering challenges in 

fragile and protected environments where our commitment to pilot 

innovation can sometimes make the difference.

Bridge Construction & Roadway Improvements

Red Rock Scenic Drive

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Nevada

Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls, Multi-Use Improvements,

Wetland Restoration, Safety Edge

Marin Headlands

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

California

Roadway & Safety Improvements

Logan Pass to Siyeh Bend

Glacier National Park

Montana
12

Slide Repair, Value Engineering, Innovative Contracting

Newfound Gap Road

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tennessee

Restoration & Rehabilitation 

Tarryall Creek Road

Pike National Forest

Colorado

Urban Streetscape Improvements, Rehabilitation, ADA compliance

Constitution Avenue

National Mall

Washington, DC 

sensitivity to the context

of the land

Many of our projects have received honors and recognition for 

excellence in design, construction, project management, aesthetics, 

historic preservation and environmental sensitivity. 

Multi-Use Trails

Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming
13

Geosynthetic Reinforced Soils, Construction 

Manager/General Contractor Project Delivery 

Method, Historic Stone Wall Restoration to 

Safety Standard

Ice Rock and Alligator Back

Blue Ridge Parkway

North Carolina

Historic Structure Replicated

With Modern Materials

Isa Lake Bridge

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

Road Diet

Steinwehr Avenue

Borough of Gettysburg

Pennsylvania

Full Reconstruction & Realignment, Design & Safety 

Improvements, Wetland Mitigation, Erosion Control

Sevenmile-Gooseberry Road

Fishlake National Forest

Utah
14

Road Inventory Program Data Collection Vehicle

With 3D Camera Mount

“The Pathrunner”

Mount Rainer National Park

Washington

Bridge Inspection Program

Under Bridge Inspection Vehicle 

“The Snooper”

Gardner River Bridge

Yellowstone National Park

Wyoming

The Federal Lands Road Inventory Program manages a nationwide 

program that provides roadway inventory and condition analysis for 

the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and other 

Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs). With the use of 

state-of the-art data collection equipment, paved and unpaved road 

conditions, drainage and geometrics are captured. 

The Federal Lands Bridge Inspection Program is responsible for 

the safety inspection and structural rating of approximately 2,700 

structures owned by various FLMAs in accordance with National 

Bridge Inspection Standards. 

The program includes risk-based condition assessments for safety 

and structural adequacy, evaluations for serviceability and functional 

obsolescence, and calculation of safe load capacities. Program goals 

are accomplished through a data-driven performance management 

approach as outlined under transportation legislation, and by 

utilizing Under Bridge Inspection Vehicle equipment, rigging and 

climbing inspection techniques, and underwater inspections. The 

program also includes emergency inspections, overload permit 

evaluations, deck studies, and non-destructive evaluation.

Collected data is used to define, support, and program improvement 

projects and aid in the development of pavement, bridge and asset 

management systems.

Concrete Core Drilling Yields Samples For Testing And 

Evaluation To Verify Bridge Inspection Findings

John Coffee Memorial Bridge

Natchez Trace Parkway

Tennessee

uniquely qualified

 and up for a challenge
15

The Federal Lands Office of Bridges and Structures is responsible 

for providing oversight of the 19 Federal agencies that own bridges 

open to the public. Federal law requires each of these agencies 

to conduct bridge inpsections on a 2 year cycle. The oversight is 

conducted through an FHWA risk-based, data driven approach, 

and assesses an agency’s National Bridge Inspection Program level 

of compliance with 23 metrics defined in 5 categories: Bridge 

Inspection Organization; Qualifications of Personnel; Inspection 

Frequency; Inspection Procedures; and Inventory.

As a result of these assessments, all 19 Federal agency bridge 

inspection programs have shown significant improvement. The 

assessments not only provide guidance to Federal bridge owners on 

achieving and maintaining compliance, but also help to ensure the 

safety and serviceability of federally-owned bridges.

The Bridge Inspection Program has been expanded to include 

railroad bridge and tunnel inspections as mandated by Federal law. 

The program is also engaged in the re-evaluation of load ratings for 

bridges on the Minuteman transportation network of the U.S. Air 

Force Global Strike Command across the nation. 

Accident Related Emergency Inspection

Fort Pulaski Bridge

Georgia

Railroad Bridge Inspection

Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad

Washington

Ultrasonic Testing of Truss Pin

Ellis Island Bridge

New York-New Jersey

Under Bridge Inspection

East Canal Park Trolley & Pedestrian Bridge

Lowell National Historical Park

Massachusetts
16

All roads are vulnerable to the powerful forces of nature. Whether 

it is hurricane, tornado, or volcanic eruption, Federal Lands works 

with Federal, state and local partners to coordinate funding, and 

assist in the design and construction restoration efforts to ensure 

public safety and restore critical access. We administer the 

Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) Program 

to fund the repair or reconstruction of federally owned roads 

following a natural disaster, and also assist the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) as part of multidisciplinary teams 

deployed to assist with damage assessment and to provide 

construction and contract administration. 

Catastrophic flooding in Colorado’s Front Range in 2013 affected many state 

and county roads accessing national parks and forests. Federal Lands deployed 

assessment and survey teams to assist the National Guard and Colorado DOT, 

and also provided engineering and technical support for repairs. 

Larimar County Road 43

Colorado

When Kilauea Volcano erupted in 2014, the lava flow began advancing towards the community of Pahoa. Geophysical techniques and testing 

were used in advance of the emergency construction, to identify lava tubes and hot spots that mitigated risk of delay or injury and supported 

construction neccesary to maintain evacuation routes.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii

deploying assistance

in times of disaster
17

Superstorm Sandy in 2012, ravaged five National Parks on the East Coast: 

including the Statue of Liberty National Monument. 

Liberty Island was the site of particular devastation with damage to the main 

passenger pier and the work/emergency pier, the Federal Lands team imparted 

its engineering, environmental compliance, and project management expertise 

to meet the July 4th goal of reopening the Island to visitors.

Statue of Liberty National Monument

New York

Destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, the Hastings Trail pedestrian and snowmobile suspension bridge over the Wild River is 

significant because of its relationship to the major corridor trail systems of the north east. The new bridge, maintains the beauty of the view 

downriver and supports winter tourism activities, linking the economies of New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec, Canada.

Hastings Trail Bridge

White Mountain National Forest

New Hampshire
18

Let us put our expertise to work for you

Building accessible and scenic roads that ensure the many national treasures

within our Federal Lands can be enjoyed by all. 

Joshua Tree National Park

California

For more information,

please visit our website. 

flh.fhwa.dot.gov