Earlier Completion of Projects Team

Team Focus

• Identify ways to shorten the time between bid opening and the notice to proceed
• Develop improved work zone processes for hours of operation and road closures
• Develop a proposal to close roads more often to accelerate construction
• Develop incentive/disincentive proposals for earlier completion of projects

Starting on November 18, 2005, members of MoDOT and our transportation partners came together to fid ways to speed up project completion, without sacrificing quality and safety.

A variety of ideas were discussed to remove barriers and to facilitating finishing a project sooner. 

The ideas were presented to top MoDOT management and the approved changes are listed below.

1.Suggestion: Shorten the time between bid opening and the notice to proceed.

   Action: MoDOT will move the letting date to where it falls approximately 1-1/2 weeks before the Commission meeting.  Thus allowing a shorter time period for award. 

This will be in effect January 1, 2006.

   Action:  To further accelerate the process contractor’s can notify Design that they have a need for a quick award.  Design can email the contract documents the contractor will need to sign and execute. This will help expedite the process once it is awarded.  Additionally if a contractor has a compelling reason to get an early award the Commission can award the contract by fax ballot prior to their meeting.  These processes will be on MoDOT’s website so the contractor’s know these options are available.

This will be in effect February 1, 2006.

2.Suggestion: Develop improved work zone processes for hours of operation and road closures.

The biggest concern from contractors was that the RE's were reluctant to deviate from contract prescribed working hour restrictions.  They want more "flexibility" on the working hours.  The following change to contract language is proposed to make the work zone restrictions more performance related.

   Action: Work Zone Restrictions

Proposed Changes:

3.3  The contractor shall be aware that traffic data indicates construction operations on the roadbed between the hours of  ___a.m. and  __a.m. and between __ p.m. and __ p.m. Monday through Friday will likely result in traffic queus greater than 15 minutes. Traffic back-up of queus greater than 15 minutes will not be permitted.  If the contractor can successfully demonstrate that their operations can be performed without a 15-minute queue in traffic, the engineer may modify the above noted hours.  Working hours for evenings, weekends and holidays will be determined by the engineer.         

This will be in effect February 1, 2006.

3.Suggestion: Develop a proposal to close roads more often to accelerate construction.

The contracting industry prefers road closures.  They are safer for the workers, save time, and money. The current PDM guidance only allows for a road closure if there is no other possible way to handle traffic through stage construction.  The best chance of a road closure to become reality is early in the design process. To encourage core teams to core teams to look at any closure opportunities the following change is proposed.

    Action: PDM-  Changes for Detours

Current language in 8-04.3 (1) DETOUR AND ALTERNATE ROUTE SIGNING

“…Detours are used when other methods of traffic control such as one-lane, two way operations, lane closures or temporary bypasses cannot be used.”

Proposed change

“… Detours should always be considered as an alternate to other traffic control methods such as one-lane, two way operations, lane closures or temporary bypasses.  Detours are provided over the shortest possible route around the closure that can sufficiently handle the traffic.  The existing traffic volumes on the roadway being closed and the detour route as well as the facility types are considered when determining detour routes and the cost to do so compared with other traffic control methods.

The Construction Manual will be updated to provide guidance on the process to shut down a road on an existing project if an opportunity is identified after a project is already let.

These changes should go in effect February 1, 2006.

4.Suggestion: Develop incentive/disincentive proposals for earlier completion of projects.

The contractors would like to see more incentive type projects. 

MoDOT has begun tracking the merits of A+B bidding in the “Tracker” under Average Construction Cost per day by contract type. The data shows that A+B Contracts result in faster contract completion and fewer delays to the traveling public.  The “Tracker” states that MoDOT is committed to using more innovative contracting techniques to accelerate contract completions.

   Action: To encourage the use of incentive/disincentive type projects the different types of innovative contracting has been placed in the Design Manual.  This will give the core teams the opportunity to explore the different options available to accelerate work.  The manual now includes a means of calculating the cost associated with these incentives so that the will be properly budgeted for.

These changes have already been enacted.

Earlier Completion of Projects Team Members

Chair: Randy Hitt, MoDOT, Assistant State Construction & Materials Engineer

573-751-1037   Randy.Hitt@modot.mo.gov

Other Members :

Paul Corr – Fred Weber Inc.

John Skidmore – Apex Paving

Frank Weatherford – TransSystems Corp.

Larry West – N.B. West Contracting Company, Inc.

John Grana – MoDOT, Resident Engineer – St. Louis

Kenyon Warbritton – MoDOT, Operations Engineer - Hannibal