December 12, 2014
Innovation Implementation: Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects
Through Every Day Counts, the Federal Highway Administration encourages three practices to enhance delivery of locally administered Federal-Aid projects: stakeholder partnering, certification programs and consultant services flexibilities.
Courtesy: MassDOT
One state with a stakeholder group is Ohio. Launched in 2014, the Ohio Local Public Agency Advisory Group brings together local, state and federal partners to discuss policies and procedures related to the Ohio Department of Transportation's local-let program. Its purpose is to improve performance on projects through information sharing, streamlining efforts and training.
Colorado Celebrates Interchange Ribbon Cutting
Colorado officials gathered December 4 to celebrate completion of the I-70 Eagle Interchange upgrade project. Four traditional intersections were converted to roundabouts and pedestrian mobility was improved with a mile of sidewalks and multiuse paths, including a pedestrian bridge over I-70. The project used the construction manager/general contractor delivery method to improve constructability, cut costs and construction risk, and integrate construction phasing that allowed efficient traffic movement and an accelerated construction schedule.
Maine Executes TIGER VI Grant Agreement
The Maine Department of Transportation and FHWA have executed the TIGER VI grant agreement for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge project, which is using the construction manager/general contractor delivery method. The $158.5 million project will replace the movable bridge that carries vehicular and rail traffic between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The $25 million grant will be used to pay for the rail element of the new bridge, which serves the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Texas Bridge Project Environmental Statement Approved Early
The Texas Department of Transportation and FHWA approved the U.S. 181 Harbor Bridge final environmental impact statement November 25, 21 months earlier than the original project schedule. They used two Every Day Counts innovations—enhanced technical assistance for projects requiring environmental impact statements and legal sufficiency enhancements — to complete the environmental impact statement for the complex bridge replacement project just three and a half years after the June 2011 notice of intent. The record of decision on the $1.1 billion project is expected to be issued in January 2015, and construction is expected to start in late 2015.
New Mexico Participates in Warm-Mix Asphalt Experiment
The New Mexico Department of Transportation has constructed the first project of a warm-mix asphalt experiment under the Long-Term Pavement Performance program, which collects pavement performance data across North America. The project is on I-40 east of Albuquerque. FHWA will test cores collected from the project immediately after construction and again at six, 12 and 18 months. FHWA continues to recruit test sections for the warm-mix asphalt experiment, which provides highway agencies with an opportunity to learn about the long-term performance of various warm-mix asphalt technologies. Contact Jack Springer at (202) 493-3144 for information.
See the Latest Innovator
Read the new issue of Innovator to find out how New Mexico and other states used State Transportation Innovation Council incentive funds on activities to standardize innovations. Also, read about the latest round of Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration awards highway agencies will use to deploy proven technologies and practices to save time, money and lives.
