01-2201. Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on November 6, 2000 (65 FR 66578). We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by February 26, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: DOT Desk Officer. You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burdens could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Claretta Duren, [phone], Infrastructure Core Business Unit, Federal Highway Administration, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 2125-0010 (Expiration Date: March 31, 2001).

Title: Bid Price Data.

Abstract: Information collected on Form FHWA-45, Bid Price Data, is needed for the FHWA to monitor changes in purchasing power of the Federal-aid construction dollar. FHWA follows these trends so that changes in highway construction prices can be measured and funding level recommendations to Congress can be justified. The Federal share of the cost of certain projects constructed by the States in advance of regular apportionments is adjusted based on the bid price index (Title 23 United States Code 115). Form FHWA-45 is prepared for Federal-aid highway construction contracts greater than $0.5 million in the 50 States plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Data is reported on six major items of highway construction, together with the total materials and labor costs of the project, taken from the bid tabulation of construction items submitted by the lowest or winning bidder to the State Transportation Department. The State Transportation Departments furnish copies of the bid tabulation to the FHWA that uses the data to produce the national FHWA bid price index and related statistics.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation Departments, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: The data is collected by the States and submitted to FHWA one time, within two weeks after the project has been awarded.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 975 hours. There are approximately 1,300 annual projects that require about 37 of the State DOTs to complete the form. It takes an average of 45 minutes for each form.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: January 19, 2001.

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.