Recent actions by Congress and the President are redirecting the United States transportation industry to design and construct metric highways in 1996. All federal lands highway and federal-aid construction projects advertised for bids after September 30, 1996, will be in metric units. The reasons for making metric conversions, the federal timetable for conversion, and a general conversion plan that can be used by highway agencies of all sizes are described. It is recommended that readers obtain a copy of the AASHTO" Guide to Metric Conversion", which was published in 1993. A public awareness campaign by all levels of government is advocated to ensure that a public backlash to metrication does not occur.