WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General has initiated an audit to evaluate the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) spending of federal dollars for highway projects.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 provides approximately $350 billion in federal funding over a five-year period for the FHWA surface transportation programs.
According to FHWA, a significant portion of this funding is expended on material production and construction-related activities.
FHWA regulations require each state department of transportation (DOT) to develop a construction quality assurance (QA) program to ensure that the materials and workmanship in federal-aid highway construction projects on the National Highway System meet the requirements of the approved plans and specifications.
“The historic level of IIJA funding — coupled with rising construction prices, supply chain challenges and shortages of skilled workers in the construction trades — amplifies the importance of FHWA’s oversight of state DOT programs to ensure the quality of construction materials and workmanship,” an FHWA news release stated. “Therefore, we are initiating this audit to evaluate FHWA’s construction QA oversight activities.”
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