Maryland DOT Standard Specifications
MDOT SHA publishes 13 documents in the BuildSpec Maryland library: the standard specification book that governs materials, methods, measurement and payment on state-funded highway work, together with the standard drawings, design and construction manuals, and materials/testing references that are administered alongside it. 222 sections across 1 of those document are published here in full and read section by section — free, no download, no account.
Standard specifications are state-authored public documents. BuildSpec republishes them with the canonical MDOT SHA source link on every page, and archives prior editions where MDOT SHA still publishes them — a project bid in a prior year is still administered under the edition named in its contract. Always confirm the edition and supplement date named in your contract, and check MDOT SHA’s own errata for revisions issued after printing.
Standard Specifications
1 documentOfficial specification books governing materials and methods
MDOT SHA Standard Specifications for construction and materials.
Book of Standards
1 documentEngineering detail sheets for typical construction items
MDOT SHA Book of Standards for Highway and Incidental Structures — the state's standard details publication.
Design Manuals
2 documentsRoadway, bridge, drainage, and traffic design guidance
MDOT SHA Highway Design Division manuals and guidance.
MDOT SHA drainage design criteria and guidance for hydrology, hydraulics, storm drains, and culverts.
Construction Manuals
1 documentField inspection and construction administration guides
MDOT SHA Construction and Materials inspection manuals.
Federal Standards
8 documentsMUTCD, ADA/PROWAG, NBIS, and other public-domain federal standards
The MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel. It covers signs, signals, markings, and temporary traffic control. The 11th Edition was published in December 2023 with a compliance deadline of May 2026.
Complete text of the 11th Edition Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in PDF format. Includes all parts covering general provisions, signs, markings, signals, temporary traffic control, school zones, railroad crossings, and traffic control for bicycle facilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards govern the design of transportation facilities including curb ramps, sidewalks, pedestrian signals, transit stops, and rail stations. These requirements are incorporated into all state DOT design standards.
PROWAG provides accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, including sidewalks, pedestrian signals, street crossings, roundabouts, and shared-use paths. FHWA has adopted these guidelines as best practices for all federally-funded projects.
The FP-14 Standard Specifications apply to construction on Federal Lands highways administered by FHWA Federal Lands Highway divisions. It provides the base specification language used for projects in national parks, forests, Indian reservations, and other federal lands.
Web✓ Read here — 164 sectionsBuildSpec hosts the FP-24 edition in full; this row links FHWA’s FP-14 page.Official MDOT SHA sourceThe NBIS (23 CFR 650 Subpart C) establishes the national standards for bridge inspection procedures, frequency, qualifications of inspectors, and reporting requirements. All highway bridges on public roads must be inspected in accordance with these federal standards.
The federal reference for highway-rail grade crossing safety: crossing inventory, traffic control device selection, sight distance, active and passive warning systems, quiet zones, and crossing closure and consolidation programs.
The federal construction safety standard governing every highway project: excavation and trenching, fall protection, scaffolding, cranes and rigging, confined spaces, and work-zone traffic hazards.
Working on a federal-aid project in Maryland?
Federal standards apply on top of the MDOT SHA book: the MUTCD for traffic control devices, ADA and PROWAG for accessibility in the public right-of-way, and FHWA FP-24 in place of a state book on Federal Lands work. Compare Maryland against other states in the all-50-state index.