Investing the Public’s Money Wisely: On Time and On Budget
Completing transportation projects on time and within budget is always a top priority. In these tough economic times, on time and within budget sometimes isn’t enough. Early and under budget are hallmarks of many transportation success stories.
Strategies for speeding up completion of transportation projects include design-build and cost plus time contracts, financial incentives and disincentives, design sequencing, rapid replacement construction, full road closure, extended work hours and approval processes, and rigorous attention to schedule from the idea stage to ribbon cutting.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation built a new 10.7-mile, four-lane divided freeway from I-40 to US-70 that bypasses congested local traffic in Clayton, North Carolina. The $124 million project—which included building 22 new bridges and four new interchanges—was completed one full year ahead of schedule. To reduce construction time, the prime contractor divided the project into three smaller, more manageable sections that allowed major components of the complex project to proceed simultaneously. The investment has saved commuters 15–30 minutes in travel time daily.
The Nebraska Department of Roads built a new bridge over the Missouri River in South Yankton replacing the Meridian Bridge, which had served as a link between Nebraska and South Dakota for 84 years. The project included renovations to the old bridge to accommodate traffic until the new one was completed—one year ahead of schedule. The $24 million, 1,590-foot, four-lane bridge—which had been championed by residents on both sides of the river for years—has five piers and 14 decorative, 50-foot tall spires that are wired for lighting.
The Texas Department of Transportation used an aggressive financial incentive/disincentive program including lane rental charges to the contractor for road closures beyond the agreed-to number of days to speed up reconstruction of the Interstate 10 Katy Freeway between downtown Houston and Katy, Texas. The $250 million project included concurrent demolition and reconstruction of eight connectors, four overpasses, 1.98 miles of roads, two new ramps, and the addition of storm water storage, sidewalks, and bike trails throughout the corridor. Although earlier projects of this magnitude had taken 10 to 12 years, the Katy Freeway construction was designed to be completed in six years. It was finished three months ahead of the accelerated schedule.
The new September 11 Memorial Bridge over New Jersey’s Manasquan River is a gateway to both Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $53 million project replaced a structurally deficient 72-year-old bridge, widened the roadway, and installed a new bridge fender system and public fishing pier that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Using a variety of construction innovations—including a precast pier system, strategic daytime closures rather than night work to improve productivity, and use of explosives to expedite demolition of the old bridge, the New Jersey Department of Transportation finished the project more than two years ahead of schedule.
The Massachusetts Highway Department used an expedited schedule to replace the Parker River Bridge and reconstruct roadway approaches including drainage, sidewalk, and guardrail improvements. Through constant attention to the schedule, use of verbal authorization for work order changes, expedited approvals from stakeholders, and expanded work hours with extra personnel, the $14.75 million reconstructed bridge was back in service 21 months ahead of schedule.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) replaced a two-lane, left-turn entrance onto southbound I-75 at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard with a right entrance flyover bridge to reduce congestion and improve safety. To expedite construction, FDOT awarded a contract based on both cost and projected completion time and built in significant financial incentives for early completion. The $42.5 million project was completed in 649 calendar days—128 days early.
Think Big!
Major road construction projects like the San Antonio I-410–US 281 project take time—even when fast tracked—and rely on massive volumes of material. This project used 60,000 cubic yards of concrete (enough to cover 30 football fields one foot deep), 322,000 tons of hot mix asphalt (enough to cover 975 football fields), 11 million pounds of steel beams (enough to build more than 3,200 cars), and 119,695 linear feet of concrete beams (which would stretch 23 miles if placed end-to-end).
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation used value engineering and constructability studies to rethink design plans for reconstruction of the I-235 Oklahoma City interchange after initial bids came in nearly 20 percent over budget. With input from construction experts, the studies identified project components that were contributing to higher bids. The second round of bids based on the new design plans produced savings of more than $2.7 million in the overall project. The $27 million project was completed within budget and 43 days ahead of schedule.
The Texas Department of Transportation fast tracked the $155 million I-410–US 281 interchange reconstruction project in San Antonio by using innovative financing tools, a significant financial incentive to the contractor for finishing ahead of schedule, and an aggressive 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week work schedule. Nearly 285,000 cars converged on the interchange daily from the two heavily-traveled commuter routes. Based on an earlier interchange project on I-410 that took nearly eight years, transportation officials initially estimated this project would have to be built in five separate phases over 10 years. Instead, the entire project was completed in three years—147 days ahead of the fast-track schedule.