Traffic Administration Office

The Traffic Administration Office, created in 2006 for the purpose of helping INDOT provide efficient and uniform traffic control for Indiana’s highway users, has several primary areas of responsibility. Among these are developing and providing guidance on the Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, developing and revising numerous agency policies related to signs, signals, pavement markings, and lighting (known as Operations Memorandum), developing and revising Standard Specifications and Drawings for traffic control devices and other safety features, and providing stewardship for the agency's logo and tourist attraction sign programs. Since that time, additional duties have been added — in 2009 the office began the administration of the inspection programs for overhead sign structures and high mast lighting towers. More recently, Traffic Administration has acquired ownership of the Test Methods (evaluation procedures) and Qualified Products Lists for a number of permanent and temporary devices including Portable Signals, Reflective Sheeting, Pavement Marking Beads, LED Luminaires, Automated Flagger Assistance Devices, and ADA Compliant Work Zone Devices.

All of our work is done with the understanding that traffic control devices are how the roadway communicates with road users —  conveying regulations, warning of potential safety issues, providing guidance — and are essential to a well-performing highway system.

Traffic Structure Inspection Programs

Traffic Administration oversees professional services contracts for the inspection of overhead sign structures and high mast lighting towers. INDOT has about 4000 overhead sign structures in its inventory including box trusses, tri-chord trusses, mono tube spans, cantilevers, and bridge attached brackets as well as 800 high mast towers.

Inspections are performed per the FHWA recommended practices contained in the Ancillary Structures Inspection Reference Manual 

Each year we inspect about one sixth to one seventh of our overhead sign structure inventory. All our high mast towers have been inspected twice in the past and are being inspected again.

A qualified consultant performs the inspections and either our District offices effect identified repair work, or the needed repair or replacement is included in a construction project. When repair work is extensive or replacement is necessary the work is assigned to a contractor During inspections the consultant performs minor repairs like tightening loose anchor bolt hardware, installing panel sign clip, clearing debris from the structure base/foundation as needed