Major Project Financial Plan Guidance

Victor M. Mendez
Federal Highway Administration
September 6, 2013

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 173 (Friday, September 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 54949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21738]



[[Page 54949]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2013-0042]


 Major Project Financial Plan Guidance

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice requests comments on draft Major Project Financial 
Plan Guidance outlining the procedures the FHWA will follow when 
reviewing and approving Financial Plans. The proposed Major Project 
Financial Plan Guidance incorporates changes required by the Moving 
Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and adopts a 
recommendation from a 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
report titled ``Federal-Aid Highways: FHWA Has Improved Its Risk 
Management Approach, but Needs to Improve Its Oversight of Project 
Costs.''

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 7, 2013.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, 
please submit all comments by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is (202) 366-
9329.
     Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket 
number at the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice 
contact Mr. James Sinnette, Project Delivery Team Leader, FHWA Office 
of Innovative Program Delivery, (202) 366-1561, Federal Highway 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or 
via email at james.sinnette@dot.gov. For legal questions, please 
contact Mr. Michael Harkins, Senior Attorney Advisor, FHWA Office of 
the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-4928, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001, or via email at 
michael.harkins@dot.gov. Business hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. 
to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing

    A copy of the proposed Major Project Financial Plan Guidance is 
available for download and public inspection under the docket number 
noted above at the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. You may submit or retrieve comments online through 
the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The Web 
site is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Electronic 
submission and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the 
help section of the Web site.
    An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from 
Office of the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Printing Office's Web page at: 
http://www.fdsys.gov. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

Background

    Major projects are defined in section 106(h) of title 23, United 
States Code (U.S.C.), as projects receiving Federal financial 
assistance with an estimated total cost of $500,000,000, or other 
projects as may be identified by the Secretary. Major projects are 
typically large, complex projects designed to address major highway 
needs and require the investment of significant financial resources. 
The preparation of the annual financial plan, as required by 23 U.S.C. 
106(h)(3), ensures that the necessary financial resources are 
identified, available, and monitored throughout the life of the 
project.
    The proposed Major Project Financial Plan Guidance replaces the 
existing January 2007 Major Project Financial Plan Guidance. Section 
106 of title 23 U.S.C., as amended by section 1503 of MAP-21, allows 
Financial Plans to include a phasing plan when there are insufficient 
financial resources to complete the entire project. In addition, 23 
U.S.C. 106 now requires recipients of Federal financial assistance to 
assess the appropriateness of a public-private partnership to deliver 
the project. In addition to these MAP-21 changes, the proposed Major 
Project Financial Plan Guidance also incorporates a recommendation 
included in a 2009 GAO report titled, ``Federal-Aid Highway: FHWA Has 
Improved Its Risk Management Approach, but Needs to Improve Its 
Oversight of Project Costs'' (GA-090-751). That report recommended that 
Financial Plans include the cost of financing the project.
    Comments on the proposed Major Project Financial Plan Guidance are 
welcome from any interested party, including Federal, State, and local 
agencies; industry groups; and the general public. A copy of the 
proposed Major Project Financial Plan Guidance is available for 
download and public inspection under the docket number noted above at 
the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The FHWA 
requests that commenters cite the page number of the Guidance for which 
each specific comment to the docket is concerned, to help make the 
FHWA's docket comment review process more efficient. The FHWA will 
consider all comments received during the comment period prior to 
finalizing the Major Project Financial Plan Guidance.

    Issued on: August 20, 2013.
Victor M. Mendez,
FHWA Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-21738 Filed 9-5-13; 8:45 am]
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