In a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works approved a two-year $109 billion dollar transportation reauthorization bill. S. 1813, also known as Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) maintains funding for transportation projects at current levels (taking into account inflation), expands the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program and incentivizes innovative and accelerated project delivery, both of which are staples in the design-build project delivery method.
MAP-21’s Project Delivery Initiative puts an emphasis on the importance of accelerating project delivery, reducing costs of construction projects and encouraging innovation in highway construction technologies and safety. The bill provides incentives for using innovative contracting methods, equipment and techniques and technology including design-build. The bill would allow the Federal share payable on a project to be up to 100 percent if the Secretary of Transportation determines that a project:
- Uses Innovative project delivery methods that improve work zone safety for motorists or workers and the quality of the facility.
- Uses innovative technologies, manufacturing processes, financing, or contracting methods that improve the quality, extend the service life, or decrease the long-term costs of maintaining highways and bridges
- Accelerates project delivery while complying with other applicable Federal laws (including regulations) and not causing any significant adverse environmental impact.
- Reduces congestion related to highway construction.
Examples of these projects, programs and activities may include the use of:
- Prefabricated bridge elements and systems and other technologies to reduce bridge construction time.
- Innovative construction equipment, materials or techniques, including the use of in-place recycling technology and digital three-dimensional modeling technologies.
- Innovative contracting methods, including design-build.
The current surface transportation bill is set to expire March 31, 2012. Before S. 1813 can go to the Senate floor for consideration, it will have to pass the Senate Committee on Finance, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. DBIA will continue to advocate for the expansion and utilization of the design-build project delivery method and its best practices.