Semi-Annual Reports to WSDOT

Semi-Annual Project Delivery Report
With data from Federal FY 2012 Quarters 3 & 4 (April– September 2012)
Issue XII, December 20, 2012

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Washington Division (WADIV) has developed the following Project Delivery Report which highlights some of the broad array of activities / initiatives / approvals we perform to assist the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and local agencies in delivering projects.

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MOVING AHEAD FOR PROGRESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY ACT (MAP-21)

After the 10th extension of SAFETEA-LU which expired on September 2009, a 27 month bill was signed by the President on July 6, 2012; Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

MAP-21 creates a streamlined, performance-based, and multimodal program to address the many challenges facing the U.S. transportation system. These challenges include improving safety, maintaining infrastructure condition, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency of the system and freight movement, protecting the environment, and reducing delays in project delivery.

Some of the key points of this new bill are as follows:

• It expands the National Highway System (NHS) to incorporate principal arterials not previously included.
• It provides a more efficient investment of Federal transportation funds through performance management.
• It enhances innovative financing and encourages private sector investment, like TIFIA funding.
• It also includes a number of provisions designed to improve freight movement in support of national goals.
• It provides stable funding for two years, including solvency for the Highway Trust Fund.
• It eliminates smaller programs by consolidation and eliminates most discretionary programs.
• It continues the successful Highway Safety Improvement Program, doubling funding for infrastructure safety, strengthening the linkage among modal safety programs, and creating a positive agenda to make significant progress in reducing highway fatalities.
• It incorporates a host of changes aimed at ensuring the timely delivery of transportation projects.

Most of the new provisions of MAP-21 went into effect on October 1st, 2012.

As this new bill is being implemented, the Washington Division is ready to assist, answer questions, and provide guidance to facilitate the process.

UPDATED SECTION 106 PA SIGNED

On August 2, 2012 the Second Amended Programmatic Agreement (PA) Implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the Federal-aid Highway Program in Washington State administered by FHWA was executed. The Agreement, as the title indicates, is the Third Statewide Section 106 Agreement for Washington State. The first version was signed in 2000, the second in 2007. The Agreement is between WSDOT, the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and FHWA. While not signatory to the agreement, all 29 federally recognized Washington tribes and five out-of-state tribes were invited to consult, and 16 tribes provided written comments which have been incorporated into the Agreement. This version streamlines activities based on our five years of experience with the First Amended PA. The Second Amended PA allows WSDOT Cultural Resources Specialists more discretion to exempt WSDOT projects from additional DAHP and tribal review, while at the same time requiring that all exemptions under the agreement be reviewed by a qualified Cultural Resources Specialist, ensuring that all of the exemptions receive proper review. The PA also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of WSDOT, DAHP, and FHWA in completing the Section 106 process for FHWA-funded projects, allowing WSDOT to act for FHWA for many steps in the process.

 

OTHER APPROVALS/ACTIONS

Environmental Document Approvals

• I-90 Snoqualmie Pass Draft Supplemental EIS approved on September 27, 2012.

Design Approvals

• There were no major design approvals noted for these quarters.

Design Deviations

• I-405/ NE 6th Street to I-5 Widening and Express Toll Lanes Project
  • Lane width deviation approved on May 30, 2012 (same day of receipt)

Access Actions

• There were no major access break / modifications approved for these quarters.

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Timeliness of Authorizations / Modifications
(All Federal-aid Projects Including ARRA)

Number of Days	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
0 to 5 Days	780	858	724	1327	1463	1456	943	1451	1645	2261	1936	1791	1655
6 to 10 Days	241	307	121	90	101	103	68	175	128	113	131	41	35
11 to 15 Days	77	109	39	10	22	24	13	37	12	7	18	7	1
16 to 20 Days	29	34	21	5	3	8	1	18	5	1	3	2	0
20 + Days	152	68	98	52	15	17	8	16	13	5	1	0	0
Totals	1279	1376	1003	1484	1604	1608	1033	1697	1803	2387	2089	1841	1691

EVERY DAY COUNTS II

In 2010, FHWA adopted a new initiative entitled Every Day Counts (EDC) which identified ways to shorten project delivery time for construction projects from conception to completion and deployed innovation aimed at enhancing the safety of our roadways, and protecting the environment.

In 2012, FHWA rolled out a second wave of innovations. The following 13 innovations are being marketed to the states, locals, and the design and construction industries:

• Programmatic agreements II,
• Locally-administered federal-aid projects,
• 3D modeling for construction means and methods,
• Intelligent compaction,
• Accelerated bridge construction,
• Design-Build,
• Construction Manager / General Contractor, (CM/GC)
• Alternative technical concepts,
• High friction surfaces
• Intersection and interchange geometrics,
• Geospatial data collaboration,
• Implementing quality environmental documentation, and
• National Traffic Incident Management Responder training (SHRP II)

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WASHINGTON GETS TIGER PROJECTS

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program provides a unique opportunity for the US Department of Transportation to invest in multimodal projects that help the economy recover.

Since inception in 2009, the DOT has invested about $3.126 billion in various projects from which Washington State has benefited with projects worth $150 million or about 5% of the total program. As of the end of September, 53% of the TIGER funds have been expended.

The latest round of TIGER funds, TIGER 2012, is partially funding two Washington State projects for a total of $24 million; $14 million for the West Mercer Corridor Extension and $10 million for the North Spokane Corridor Railroad Realignment projects. The Washington Division is working with WSDOT and the local agencies to deliver these projects. UPDATE: On Friday, September 21, 2012 the Washington Division Administrator signed the Mercer Corridor Project West Phase TIGER program grant agreement. This $14 million TIGER 2012 grant awarded to the City of Seattle is for making improvements to the West Phase of the Mercer Corridor project (estimated total project cost of $98 million).

 

Dan Mathis Division Administrator FHWA Washington Division 360-753-9480 Daniel.Mathis@dot.gov

Yamilée P. Volcy SW and Eastern Regions Area Engineer FHWA Washington Division 360-753-9552 Yamilee.Volcy@dot.gov