23 C.F.R. § 655.603 Standards.
Title 23 - Highways
(a) National MUTCD. The MUTCD approved by the Federal Highway Administrator is the national standard for all traffic control devices installed on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to public travel in accordance with 23 U.S.C 109(d) and 402(a). The national MUTCD is specifically approved by the FHWA for application on any highway project in which Federal highway funds participate and on projects in federally administered areas where a Federal department or agency controls the highway or supervises the traffic operations. (b) State or other Federal MUTCD. (1) Where State or other Federal agency MUTCDs or supplements are required, they shall be in substantial conformance with the national MUTCD. Changes to the national MUTCD issued by the FHWA shall be adopted by the States or other Federal agencies within 2 years of issuance. The FHWA Division Administrators shall approve the State MUTCDs and supplements that are in substantial conformance with the national MUTCD. (2) The FHWA Associate Administrator of the Federal Lands Highway Program shall approve other Federal land management agencies' MUTCDs that are in substantial conformance with the national MUTCD. States and other Federal agencies are encouraged to adopt the national MUTCD as their official Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. (c) Color specifications. Color determinations and specifications of sign and pavement marking materials shall conform to requirements of the FHWA Color Tolerance Charts.2 2 Available for inspection from the Office of Traffic Operations, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. (d) Compliance—(1) Existing highways. Each State, in cooperation with its political subdivisions, and Federal agency shall have a program as required by 23 U.S.C. 402(a), which shall include provisions for the systematic upgrading of substandard traffic control devices and for the installation of needed devices to achieve conformity with the MUTCD. (2) New or reconstructed highways. Federal-aid projects for the construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, or rehabilitation of streets and highways shall not be opened to the public for unrestricted use until all appropriate traffic control devices, either temporary or permanent, are installed and functioning properly. Both temporary and permanent devices shall conform to the MUTCD. (3) Construction area activities. All traffic control devices installed in construction areas using Federal-aid funds shall conform to the MUTCD. Traffic control plans for handling traffic and pedestrians in construction zones and for protection of workers shall conform to the requirements of 23 CFR part 630, subpart J, Traffic Safety in Highway and Street Work Zones. (4) MUTCD changes. The FHWA may establish target dates for achieving compliance with changes to specific devices in the MUTCD. (e) Specific information signs. Standards for specific information signs are contained in the MUTCD. [48 FR 46776, Oct. 14, 1983, as amended at 51 FR 16834, May 7, 1986; 68 FR 14139, Mar. 24, 2003]
Title 23: Highways
PART 655—TRAFFIC OPERATIONS
Subpart F—Traffic Control Devices on Federal-Aid and Other Streets and Highways
§ 655.603 Standards.
