Applying the Principles of the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule to Design-Build Projects: Two Case Studies

Executive Summary

The Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (the Rule), published in September 2004, applies to all Federal-aid highway projects and affects agencies receiving such funding. The overarching goal of the Rule is to reduce crashes and congestion in and around work zones. The Rule aims to bring this about through greater consideration and understanding of work zone impacts throughout project development; minimization of those impacts where possible through scheduling, coordination, design, and staging decisions; and better management of remaining impacts during construction.

The principles advocated by the Rule and its provisions apply to design-build projects, but they may need to be applied somewhat differently to address the differences in process between design-build and traditional design-bid-build processes. Design-build projects are becoming more prevalent as agencies seek to speed up projects to leverage resources, so the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) identified the need to examine how the Rule can best be applied to design-build projects. The purpose of this case study report is to describe how the good work zone planning, design, and management principles of the Rule were applied to two design-build projects, the US 285 Design-Build Project in Colorado and the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project in North Carolina, and how application of these principles differed from applying these principles to traditional design-bid-build projects.

Lessons learned from the two case studies and other research will be used to identify tips, guidance, and other resources that may be helpful to agencies and design-builders to facilitate application of the principles of the Rule to design-build projects.

Highlights of Lessons Learned

Key lessons learned from these case studies about applying the Rule to design-build projects include:

• Overall
  • Recognize that the Agency has other types of risk in a design-build project and a key part to managing them is to develop a good RFP.
  • Make project safety a priority right from the start.
  • Value-added elements are a great benefit of design-build projects.
  • Encouraging contractor innovation can be a major benefit to design-build projects.
• RFP Development and Proposal Evaluation
  • Agency work zone traffic control staff should be involved in RFP development and proposal evaluation and selection.
  • Proposal evaluation criteria and scoring are very important and should reflect the level of traffic management on the project.
  • Value-based contractor selection that includes criteria for work zone traffic management is important to successful work zone safety and mobility on a project.
  • Use project specific guidance in the RFP.
  • Provisions should be included in the RFP to require that work zone traffic control issues are addressed in a timely manner.
  • Performance-based specifications in the RFP require measureable data for verification.
• TMP Development and Implementation
  • Direct involvement by the Agency in reviewing TMPs may be more effective in reflecting Agency needs and expectations.
  • Make sure all parties are informed.
  • In monitoring TMP performance, recognize potential data sources and collaborate closely with them throughout the project.
• Quality Management
  • Successful implementation of a Quality Management Plan can save money.
• Team Capabilities
  • Agency staff needs to have knowledge and recognize the value of the Rule.
  • Contractors need to be familiar with the Rule.
  • A trained Traffic Control Supervisor with knowledge on local guidelines and processes is beneficial.
• Coordination and Partnership
  • Collaboration and good partnership are keys to project efficiency and success.
  • The design-build delivery method promotes coordination and collaboration and builds strong sense of ownership for all parties involved.
  • Key stakeholders should be brought in early on.

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