BLUF: The Federal Highway Administration is proposing a new, unified application process for three experimental highway-project authorities, published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2026.

FHWA is seeking public comment on a modified submission and evaluation process covering Special Experimental Project 16 (SEP-16), Special Experimental Project 15 (SEP-15), and Test and Evaluation Project 045 (TE-045). The notice proposes a streamlined, uniform application procedure across all three experimental-project authorities rather than the separate processes each currently uses.

Why it matters: SEP-15, SEP-16, and TE-045 are the mechanisms state departments of transportation and their contractors use to seek approval for alternative contracting methods, project delivery approaches, and technologies on federally funded highway projects that fall outside standard FHWA regulations. A single, uniform application process would reduce the administrative burden for state DOTs and the contractors that help them prepare these requests, and it could speed approval timelines for firms proposing non-traditional highway delivery methods such as alternative bidding or warranty specifications.

By the numbers:

• Programs covered: SEP-16, SEP-15, TE-045
• Publication date: September 24, 2026
• Document type: Notice
• Issuing agency: Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation)

According to the notice, the purpose of the modification is to "achieve a streamlined, uniform process to reduce burden and improve the efficiency of the application and evaluation process for all three experimental projects." The notice invites public comment on the proposed process; contractors and state DOT program offices that use SEP-14/15/16 or TE-045 waivers should review the full notice text for submission instructions and any comment deadline.

Source: Federal Register