Guardrail posts; Department of Transportation to develop standards for protective caps, report.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance.

Protective Caps for Guardrails

This bill requires the Virginia Department of Transportation to create standards and requirements for protective caps on guardrail posts starting July 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Department of Transportation to develop and adopt statewide standards and requirements for protective caps or other comparable shielding for exposed guardrail posts installed or replaced on or after July 1, 2027.
• The department must evaluate commercially available protective caps or other comparable shielding and set minimum impact-attenuation criteria for them.
• Once the rules are made, they will be part of the state's road and bridge standards.
• The department may apply for additional grants to help pay for these new requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• Virginia Department of Transportation
• Road construction companies in Virginia

Terms To Know

Guardrail posts

The vertical supports that hold up guardrails along roads and highways.

Impact-attenuation criteria

Safety standards to reduce the harm caused by crashes or impacts.

Limits and Unknowns

• It is not clear how much extra money will be needed for this project.
• The bill does not specify what happens if a company does not follow these new rules.

Official Summary Text

Department of Transportation; protective caps for guardrail posts; report.
Directs the Department of Transportation to develop and adopt statewide standards and requirements for protective caps or other comparable shielding for exposed guardrail posts installed or replaced on or after July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
33.2-274.2
, relating to Department of Transportation; protective caps for guardrail posts; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
33.2-274.2
as follows:

§
33.2-274.2
. Protective caps for guardrail posts; report.

The Department shall develop
,
adopt
, and implement
statewide standard
s and requirements
for protective caps or other comparable shielding for exposed guardrail posts installed or replaced on or after July 1, 202
7
.
In developing such standards and requirements, t
he
D
epartment shall
evaluate commercially available protective caps
or other comparable shielding
for exposed guardrail posts
and
set minimu
m impact-attenuation criteria
for such protective caps or other comparable shielding
. Once adopted, the
Department
shall incorporate such standards
and requirements
into the Department's
R
oad and
B
ridge
S
tandards.
Such standards
and requirements
shall apply to new installations of guardrail posts and any repair of guardrail posts requiring the removal and res
etting of such guardrail posts.

The Department
may apply for
any

additional
grants for funds,
as
the Department determines
may be
necessary
to supplement any existing state or federal funds
that
the Department is currently permitted by law to use
for the development, adoption, and implementation of such standards and requirements
and
, once such standards and requirements are implemented,
for the installation or replacement of
protective caps or other comparable shielding for exposed guardrail posts
.

The Department shall publish an
annual
report on the implementation of such standards and requirements, including the n
umber of protective
caps or
other comparable shielding installed, no later than
December 1.