3R Standards Implementation

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 increased the Federal funding for highway improvements by well over 50%. In that act, Congress also directed that a large portion of the non‐Interstate funds be used for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating and reconstructing (3R/4R) existing highways and bridges in a manner which would enhance highway safety. The extent of appropriate safety improvements on 3R/4R projects varies depending on a number of factors such as the existing highway condition, the scope of the pavement improvement, social or environmental impacts, available right‐of‐way and cost/Appropriate safety improvements include better skid resistance quality of the pavement; cross‐slope changes to improve drainage; superelevation corrections; better signing, marking and delineation; regrading of roadside slopes; removal or upgrading of roadside hardware; and removal or mitigation of hazardous roadside features. Improvements to the geometries may also be included, suchas lane and shoulder widening, and horizontal or vertical curve reconstruction. Designing the rehabilitation of a highway is a greater challenge to the skills of highway designers than is the designing of a new highway. For a 3R project, designers cannot simply lay a template on the paper and proceed. They need to use accident and traffic data and all that is known about safety design to custom tailor safety into the remodeled highway. The challenge is there for highway administrators and designers to take up the enormous task of revitalizing the Nation's highway system.