Transportation Owner of the Year
Over the past three years, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has enthusiastically embraced design-build project delivery. Calculated as a percentage of total dollars spent, UDOT more than doubled the number of projects completed via design-build between 2007 and 2009. Last year, 40 percent of UDOT projects utilized the design-build method - a delivery method that had been applied to just six percent of projects in 2007.
In January 2010, UDOT awarded its largest design-build project, I-15 CORE, a $1.1 billion project with a fixed-price, technical score selection. Another 13 design-build projects are in construction following a series of back-to-back advertisings that started late in 2008. UDOT currently has five programmed design-build projects for 2010, including bridge deck replacements with shoulder improvements on I-15 and four urban arterial improvements as low bid and/or technical selection.
Throughout the process of developing its design-build program, UDOT implemented a variety of best practices that helped to ensure success, including clearly identifying risks and assigning appropriately to the Design-Build Team or the Owner, emphasizing and clearly stating the criteria RFP, and creating a transparent selection process.
As a result of these and other efforts, UDOT has consistently reaped the benefits of both innovation and high value. Winning teams have managed to minimize risk and accelerate construction activities, while decreasing the inconvenience of road and bridge construction on the traveling public. Recently, a UDOT fixed-price contract received nearly 30 percent more scope than originally estimated.
The Design-Build Institute of America is proud to acknowledge the Utah Department of Transportation with a 2010 Transportation Owner of the Year award.