Senators call for investigation of FHA's approval of possibly defective guardrails

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and five other senators are calling on the U.S. Comptroller General and the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigation the Federal Highway Administration's (FHA) evaluation of defective ET-Plus guardrail and end terminals.

Blumenthal and Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Edward Markey (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) wrote a letter to Gene Dodaro, requesting the formal investigation.

Saying the FHA serves a unique and vital role in ensuring roadside hardware is properly vetted and safe for use, the senators called into question the safety of certain roadside devices approved by the administration and the issuance of grants to states for the devices' purchase.

“The developments over the past several months raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the current framework for evaluating the reliability and integrity of roadside hardware products, including guardrail end terminals," the senators wrote. "Under the current oversight regimen, several parties are involved in setting safety standards and evaluating whether roadside hardware devices meet appropriate criteria."