Project Development/Design
State of the Art
Motorist delay, road user, worker safety, and impacts to adjacent communities are assessed on all major urban and other high volume corridors. Cross-cutting teams and multi-agency interests are used in developing alternatives and selecting the preferred design that minimizes present and future exposure to road users and workers. The project development process results in a TCP that provides for shared risk and benefits for owners, contractors, and the traveling public. Contract times and motorist delays are minimized through the use of CPM scheduling and accelerated contracting procedures.
To achieve state-of-the-art project development/design, transportation agencies would need to:
- Extend traffic management principles into all construction and maintenance
projects adversely impacting traffic, not just high-visibility projects.
- Develop TCP options prior to beginning the detailed
design (+/- 30 percent stage).
- Utilize cross-cutting teams to develop and evaluate
TCPs.
- Provide for contractor involvement in the development
of the TCP and active public input into the selection of the TCP.
- Use computer modeling to assess the traffic and safety
impacts as well as the construction time required for the TCP options
being considered.
- Modify project development schedules to reflect development
and evaluation of TCP options prior to beginning detailed designs
(30 percent stage).
- Consider road-user, life-cycle, and other impact
costs in the selection of the preferred design, materials, TCP, and
contracting options.
- Utilize CPM scheduling to establish the maximum contract
time included in the bid proposal.
- Develop user-friendly computer software to calculate realistic but
expedited contract times.
- Provide CPM scheduling training courses to staff
and consultant designers.
- Conduct public relations campaigns to inform the public and involve them in the selection of the preferred TCP.
