Alternate Project Delivery Team

Team Focus

• Develop a process to involve contractor/industry in the scoping process of a project

• Identify opportunities to streamline the environmental process
• Identify strategies for accelerating utility relocations

Given the complexity of this topic and enormous scope, the team met several times to identify suggestions for creative ways to deliver projects better, faster, and cheaper.

Their suggestions are still being fined-tuned and turned into action.  These suggestions are in the process of being presented to MoDOT senior management for approval.

Suggestion: Develop a process to involve contractor/industry in the scoping process of a project

Recommendations:

• Programmatic agreement with contracting partners and consulting organizations to participate in project core teams and objectively review design options prior to inclusion in the construction program.

• Encourage Project Development staff to attend annual industry meetings/expos to gain knowledge on industry innovations.  Invite suppliers and vendors to participate in MoDOT conferences to promote new products and innovations.

Suggestion: Identify opportunities to streamline the environmental process

Recommendations:

• Structure upfront contracts and/or split out preliminary activities from environmental process. (Example:  aerial photography, surveying, endangered species surveys, etc.)

• Educate MoDOT personnel on the Environmental process. (Threatened and Endangered Species, Wetlands, Community Impacts, Air Quality, Noise training, etc.)

• Statewide Environmental QC to address problems with the process.  Include more regulatory agencies and meet more frequently.

• Improve MoDOT internal processes for permitting. (Example: Negotiating programmatic agreements with Corps of Engineers on permits; develop a consistent process between Corps districts; looking at the worst case up front.)

Suggestion: Identify strategies for accelerating utility relocations

Recommendations:

• Adhere to utility adjustment time/cost estimates developed for initial project budget and timeline.  Time required for utility relocations should not be compressed as a result of delays in project design or right of way acquisition.  Utility companies should have the original agreed upon time to complete adjustments, regardless of delays.
• Relocate utilities prior to acquiring deed to property through right of entry.  Project related tree clearing and tree trimming could be done at this time also.

• Assist small independent or small city owned utilities with engineering relocation plans.  (on-call contracts or in-house design?)

• Incentive/disincentive costs on utility agreements. (Recommend explore by another team to investigate more extensively.)

• Design utility corridors outside of R/W corridor.  Don’t constrain utility easements to parallel highway right of way.  Allow protective purchase of utility corridors early in project development.  Excess could be returned after the utilities are relocated. (Recommend explore by another team to investigate more extensively.)
• MoDOT right of way staff and utility company right of way staff need to coordinate early in process, when applicable. (Recommend explore by another team to investigate more extensively.)

Alternate Project Delivery Team Members

Chair: Bruce Green – MoDOT, Technical Support Engineer 

                       573-751-9248  Bruce.Green@modot.mo.gov

Other Members :

Dave Diestelkamp – Jacobs Civil, Inc.

Bruno Stopka - Ameren UE

John View III – Leo Journagan Construction Company, Inc.

Stephen Wells – Wilbur Smith Associates

Barry Horst – MoDOT, Project Development Engineer - Sikeston

Bill Graham – MoDOT, Environmental Compliance Coordinator

Jim Zeiger – MoDOT, Technical Support Engineer

Gayle Unruh – MoDOT, Wetland Coordinator