FHWA and Caltrans - Joint Stewardship and Oversight Agreement > Appendix D: Examples of High Profile Projects

APPENDIX D: EXAMPLES OF HIGH PROFILE PROJECTS

Controversial and Congressional Interest projects – projects that are highly controversial or are of high congressional interest as determined by the FHWA.

Demonstration/Pilot projects – these are projects included in demonstration and pilot programs as established by Caltrans or the FHWA. Some examples of such programs are the Value Pricing Pilot Program, Express Lanes Demonstration Program, Caltrans’ Design/Build Program, Caltrans’ Design Sequencing Pilot Program, buses on shoulders, quiet pavements, and High Occupancy Toll lanes. All projects that receive a congressional earmark are not intended to be High Profile projects, although some High Profile projects may receive an earmark.

Executive Order 13274 projects – these projects are selected by the Secretary of Transportation to enhance environmental stewardship and streamline the environmental review and development of transportation infrastructure projects. An example of one such project is the Interstate 5 North Coast project.

Invitational projects – projects where Caltrans requests and establishes the FHWA’s level of involvement.

Interstate Projects with design exceptions – projects that have non-standard design features relating to design speed, lane width, shoulder width, bridge width, horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, grade, stopping sight distance, cross slope, superelevation, horizontal clearance, vertical clearance or bridge structural capacity (i.e. the 13 controlling criteria for selection of design standards of primary importance for highway safety).

Major ITS projects – projects that are described under 23CFR Section 940, as any ITS project that implements part of a regional ITS initiative that is multi-jurisdictional, multi-modal, or otherwise affects regional integration of ITS systems.

Major Projects – projects whose cost (including preliminary engineering, ROW, and construction) exceeds $500 million. These require Finance Plans and Project Management Plans.

Non-Traditional Revenue Sources projects – projects that are financed through non-traditional means. An example of this type of project is the TIFIA loan project.

Special Experimental Projects (SEP-14) – Alternative Contracting – The objective of SEP-14 process is to evaluate "project specific" innovative contracting practices undertaken by State highway agencies that have the potential to reduce the life cycle cost of projects, while at the same time, maintain product quality. SEP-14 projects follow a formal application process.

Special Experimental Projects (SEP-15) – Public Private Partnerships - SEP-15 is a new experimental process for the FHWA to identify, for trial evaluation, new public-private partnership approaches to project delivery. It is anticipated that these new approaches will allow the efficient delivery of transportation projects without impairing the FHWA's ability to carry out its stewardship responsibilities to protect both the environment and American taxpayers. SEP-15 projects follow a formal application process.

Unusual Bridges – these projects include bridges with difficult or unique foundation problems; new or complex designs with unique operational or design features; bridges with exceptionally long spans (greater than 150 m); or bridges designed with procedures that depart from currently recognized acceptable practices. Examples of unusual bridges include cable-stayed, suspension, arch, segmental concrete, movable, or truss bridges; or bridges with major supporting elements of high performance or technologically advanced materials.

Unusual Structures – unusual structures are tunnels, geotechnical structures featuring new or complex wall systems or ground improvement systems, hydraulic structures that involve complex stream stability countermeasures, and structures using atypical or unique designs or design techniques.

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