>>Videohost: You wouldn't think of starting out a trip without knowing where you were going.
The same is true for Local Public Agencies as they consider a project of any scope.
Think of a transportation project being developed under the Federal-aid Highway
Program as an extended road trip with a series of required waypoints.
It's a good idea to have a map that shows where you are going and how to get there.
This presentation will provide you with a sound understanding of the phases
or building blocks and the major approval milestones.
America has the best transportation system in the world where safety is the top priority.
The Federal Highway Administration values the public trust of delivering quality projects
and protecting the civil rights of everyone who is affected.
Understanding this program and how projects are advanced will help to preserve this trust
and continued confidence.
Projects that use Federal-aid Highway Program funds typically follow a series of six
fundamental phases of development. Each phase embodies the building blocks,
leading to successful project delivery for your Local Public Agency.
The first phase is planning. Your transportation needs and ideas are
conceptualized during the planning phase. Next--building upon the decisions
initiated in planning--the project moves forward through the five remaining phases
of development from environmental studies, design, right-of-way, construction and
ending at maintenance and operation.
As the project progresses through each of the six phases, your Local Public Agency
also must take into account three major approval milestones:
Environmental document approval; Plans, Specifications and Estimates; and closing the Project.
Obtaining approval at each of the milestones advances the project.
This video presents these core elements and approval steps to help achieve
success in your project--in terms of staying on schedule, ensuring construction quality,
managing costs, and complying with Federal regulations--so that you can receive Federal-aid funds for the project.
Let us first discuss the core elements of the program before moving on to
challenges and solutions related to the success of your project.
>> Female narrator: Project delivery within the Federal-aid highway program is represented as a
series of interconnected phases that can affect each other.
A project is born in the planning phase. Planning includes identifying the initial
scope of the project, which is based on regional transporation improvement
programs, road conditions, and other considerations.
If your Local Public Agency will use federal-aid funds for a project, it is important to know that
the project must be included in the approved State Transportation Improvement Program,
otherwise known as the STIP.
All projects in the STIP are identified activities in a long term planning document referred
to as the Long Range Transportation Plan or the LRTP.
Once a project is in an approved STIP the project can be considered for Federal-aid funding.
The second phase is Environmental. Within the Environmental phase,
the NEPA process is a major part of the overall phase.
NEPA refers to the National Environmental Policy Act and often is the first
activity that uses project funds. This phase evaluates the project's impact on
the human and natural environment, and may even require consideration
of alternatives. The NEPA process ultimately provides the project purpose
and need, the "conceptual" location and design, and approval of the
selected alternative based on the scope of work for the transporation project.
Typically, no more than thirty percent of the project design is completed before
the envrionmental phase is complete.
The third phase is Design.
This phase is when the details necessary to construct the project are defined.
At the end of the design phase, the plans, contract specifications, and estimated
and estimated costs package is assembled.
This PS&E "package" is submitted for review and approval before the project can
move into construction.
A well developed PS&E helps to make sure you receive good bids and that the
project can be constructed without significant problems.
The fourth phase is Right of Way.
Right of Way may include the purchase of property or land use agreements
that is needed to construct the project.
If any Right of Way is needed for the project, it must be acquired in accordance with
the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970,
otherwise known as the Uniform Act, even if federal funds are not
needed until construction.
Coordination with utilities and railroads also occurs during this phase.
Construction is the fifth phase and is when the project is built.
This phase includes physical construction by the contractor, and
administration of the contract and quality assurance by the local agency.
The sixth and final phase is Maintenance and Operation of the constructed facilities.
This phase includes opening the project for use by the public, and making sure
that it remains in good working order.
Generally, project delivery is broken down into pre-award and post award activities.
Pre-award includes the first four phases of planning, environmental, design and
right-of-way, while post-award includes construction, contract administration,
and maintenance, sometimes referred to as system preservation, and operations.
Now that we have an idea of how a project moves through the core elements,
let's highlight the three major project approval milestones:
NEPA approval, PS&E approval and Final Acceptance of the constructed project.
The first milestone to complete is NEPA.
This establishes the project purpose and need, the "conceptual" location
and design, and approval of the selected alternative based on the
scope of work for the transportation project.
Environmental commitments may be necessary to mitigate the impacts anticipated from
constructing the project.
The second milestone is the approval of the PS&E package which
permits authorization for physical construction.
Projects must not be advertised for bids unless you have received approval from your oversight agency.
Finally, the third milestone is closing out the project which
incorporates final acceptance and final vouchering for the project.
Closing out the project is when your responsibilities transition
to maintaining and operating the facility.
>>Videohost: Understanding the cradle to grave process will help you avoid
unnecessary delays to your project.
So how do you stay on route to success?
By understanding how each of the six phases of your
project are related within this cradle to grave process, you can
avoid unnecessary delays to your project delivery schedule, growth in costs,
or even affecting the public's trust.
A solid understanding of the basic sequential activities common to delivering
all transportation projects will reduce your risk of jeopardizing
the use of federal aid funds, and make your journey an efficient
and productive one.