The Role of the Bureau of Public Roads in Federal-Aid Highway Construction

Bureau of Public Roads You have asked me to talk with you on the Bute of Public Roads' role in the present Federal-aid hig way program.In having asked the question, there the implication of a lack of understanding of our rol or perhaps even some disagreement with what yc may construe to be the role we are now playing' the program.The best place to begin is in the la itself-to see what it requires.It is significant that the basic underlying princip! which control this huge current public works progratf are almost identical in stated intent with those e| pressed in the first authorizing Congressional acts 1916 and 1921.Those two pieces of legislation wel formulated after considerable debate and hearhr from careful studies by special committees of the Co: gress and the affected highway interest groups.Tfef were no shallow, quickie productions.It is true t! these original acts have been amended or supj mented almost every year in some form or another nearly 50 subsequent Congressional acts.But in doing, neither the philosophy nor in fact the WOK themselves, of the statements underlying the relate ship and general procedures, have been altered, eve after careful and exhaustive analysis and critic| review by Congressional committees, the Bureau, 33 the State highway departments.In fact, in the dud tive of 1954 to codify the Federal-aid highway lal just the opposite was required.The Congress direct!us to change nothing in existing law except as ne e ds to put it in better format so as to be easier to use.Ti : were specifically forbidden to make substantia changes; and so the Title 23 USC which we referI today as being the Federal-aid highway law actual contains the same words, phrases, and intent til governed the program in its very beginning 48 >r ago in 1916.It is apparent, therefore, that there is solid body of experience on which to base conclusion with respect to what is the Bureau role in the Feden aid highway program.This role is to approve, disapprove, or require mod fications or revisions in the individual State proposl as made by them for use of the Federally apportion* aid monies and to do so at each step in the proct in such manner and degree as to be able to certify the Congress through the various executive agenci that the proposals have in actual fact been acta: plished in accordance with the proposal as approve' before these Federal-aid funds are finally paid out i the Treasury to the State.This role, you will ml involves the Bureau and the State highway department and does not even mention you as contractors.This is not intended in any way to disparage the important and vital role which the contractor plays, but simply to clearly emphasize that the Bureau relationship is with the State-and this is defined by statute.