Early Contractor Design Involvement to Expedite Delivery of Emergency Highway Projects

Abstract

Events such as Hurricanes Katrina and Irene and the sudden collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota forced state departments of transportation (DOTs) to step into the public spotlight and implement expedited procurement procedures to restore vital links in the transportation network as the media scrutinized their work every night on the evening news. This paper presents the results of case studies from Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and Utah where the DOT brought the construction contractor into the design process as the primary means to expedite the delivery of emergency projects. The case studies include the use of design–bid–build, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity (IDIQ), construction manager–general contractor (CMGC), and design–build (DB) contracts as mechanisms to gain substantive contractor input on materials, means, and methods during design. The paper concludes that completing the design is the first obstacle to surmount in emergency procurements and that the surest tool to expedite emergency project delivery is to design around immediately available materials, equipment, and proven accelerated construction methods—information that is best developed by the contractor that will eventually complete the construction. The paper recommends that agencies develop expedited procurement procedures for IDIQ, CMGC, and DB contracts before emergencies occur and furnishes case study information for specific methods used to streamline routine procurement procedures.