1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

 Washington, D.C. 20590

October 19, 2012 

FHWA: HSST: NArtimovicht: sf: x61331:10/17/12

File: s: //directory folder/HSST/WZ303A_SteveZimar.docx

cc: HSST (NArtimovich;) 

In Reply Refer To:

WZ-303A

Steve Zimar

Product Manager

Eastern Metal/USA-SIGN

1430 Sullivan St

Elmira, NY 14901

Dear Mr. Zimar:

This letter is in response to your request for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to 

review a roadside safety system for eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway 

program. 

Name of system: C-301, C-801, and C-802 Sign Stands

Type of system: X-Footprint compact portable sign stands

Test Level: NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3

Testing conducted by: N/A

Date of request: March 15, 2012

Decision

The following devices are eligible, with details provided in the form which is attached as an 

integral part of this letter:

• C-301, C-801, and C-802 Sign Stands

Based on a review of details submitted by the manufacturer certifying the device described 

herein meets the crash test and evaluation criteria of the National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program (NCHRP) Report 350, the device is eligible for reimbursement under the Federal-aid 

highway program. Eligibility for reimbursement under the Federal-aid highway program does 

not establish approval or endorsement by the FHWA for any particular purpose or use.

The FHWA, the Department of Transportation, and the United States Government do not 

endorse products or services and the issuance of a reimbursement eligibility letter is not an 

endorsement of any product or service.

Requirements

To be found eligible for Federal-aid funding, roadside safety devices should meet the crash test 

and evaluation criteria contained in the NCHRP Report 350 or the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials’ Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). 
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Description

The device and supporting documentation are described in the attached form.

This letter corrects product identifying information in our letter WZ-303 to you dated November 

30, 2011. That letter misidentifies the C-802 sign stand as a C-902 sign stand. The C-902 stand 

was previously covered by our letters WZ-07, WZ-13, and WZ-56. WZ-303 covers the C-302 

sign stand and the C-802 sign stand (erroneously referred to as C-902).

You also noted that Eastern Metal/ USA-Sign is now offering identical stands to the C-302 and 

C-802 stands except that they incorporate a lower profile base. This smaller base is required in 

order that the stands will fit into certain storage containers. These stands are identified as Models 

C-301 and C-801. 

Summary and Standard Provisions

Therefore, the system described and detailed in the attached form is eligible for reimbursement 

and may be installed under the range of conditions tested. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to FHWA eligibility letters:

• This finding of eligibility does not cover other structural features of the systems, nor 

conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

• Any changes that may influence system conformance with NCHRP Report 350 criteria 

will require a new reimbursement eligibility letter.

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals safety problems, or that the system is significantly different from the 

version that was crash tested, we reserve the right to modify or revoke this letter.

• You are expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance.

• You are expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has the same 

chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for review, and that it 

will meet the crash test and evaluation criteria of the NCHRP Report 350.

• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of eligibility is designated as number 

WZ-303A and shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter and the test 

documentation upon which it is based are public information. All such letters and 

documentation may be reviewed at our office upon request. 

• This letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, 

manufacture, or sell any patented system for which the applicant is not the patent holder. 

The FHWA does not become involved in issues concerning patent law. Patent issues, if 

any, are to be resolved by the applicant.
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• The Eastern Metal / USA-Sign stands are patented products and considered proprietary. 

If proprietary systems are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid projects: 

(a) they must be supplied through competitive bidding with equally suitable unpatented 

items; (b) the highway agency must certify that they are essential for synchronization 

with the existing highway facilities or that no equally suitable alternative exists; or (c) 

they must be used for research or for a distinctive type of construction on relatively short 

sections of road for experimental purposes. Our regulations concerning proprietary 

products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 635.411. 

Sincerely yours,

Michael S. Griffith

Director, Office of Safety Technologies

Office of Safety

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