Success Story Fast Facts: Minnesota
Slicing Eight Years Off Major Highway Construction
Project Details:
The $232 million reconstruction of an 11-mile section of US Highway 52 in Rochester, Minnesota includes widening a four-lane limited access road to six lanes. A system of frontage roads is being reconfigured to accommodate the wider roadway. The project includes 24 bridges and 11 interchanges. A design build, best value contracting method was used to procure this project.
Roadway Characteristic:
54,000 ADT which is expected to double by 2029.
Construction Dates:
- Initial: Dec. 2002-Aug. 2006
- Actual: spring 2003-Dec. 2005 - less than three years
Owner Agency:
Mn/DOT
Team Affiliations:
- Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Federal Highway Administration
- Zumbro River Constructors
- Fluor Corporation
- Ames Construction, Inc.
- Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc.
- URS Corporation
- HDR, Inc. (project oversight team)
Contacts:
Old Approach/Solution:
Conventional prescriptive/methods based approach.
New Approach/Solution:
Design build, best value with adjusted scores, allowing the project to be completed in less than three years - and more than eight years earlier than Mn/DOT
Innovations Used:
Design build, best value with lowest adjusted score bid approach; use of prestressed concrete for bridges; use of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls with 100-year life; high performance concrete pavement with 60-year life; extensive public relations before and during the project, including a dedicated public relations professional assigned to the contractor's project team.
Purpose/Need For Innovations:
Improved safety, reduced congestion and elimination of a confusing mixed frontage road system.
Initial Construction Cost:
- Original Mn/DOT estimate: $239 million
- Bid price: $232 million
- Savings: $30 million in inflationary costs
Challenges:
Access and mobility are critical to Highway 52. It carries more traffic than any other artery in Rochester and is a lifeline to the regional economy. The goal was to maintain traffic while minimizing disruption to businesses and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic during construction. Fine-tuned traffic management plans are the key. Mn/DOT consulted with the city and county on every aspect of how traffic would move through the area. The RFP contained specific language concerning ramp closures, and when the project started, a Traffic Management Task Force was formed to include county and city officials and emergency responders who reviewed modifications as they occurred. This resulted in a smooth traffic management process.
What Would You Do Differently?
Review carefully the RFP before it goes out to ensure that clear, concise language is used in the assignment of responsibilities between the contractor and the DOT.
Source Sheet
|
