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U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration

MEMORANDUM

I am pleased to report that the response to our most recent call for Highways for LIFE (HfL) funded projects was most impressive. A total of 26 candidate projects were received-21 candidates from the initial solicitation and five new candidates from the reopening period. Thanks to all of you who submitted an application for the Highways for LIFE discretionary fund.

This year, the awards will be announced in two phases. This memorandum is the first phase of the announcement of FY 2007 HfL Projects. The second phase of this announcement is anticipated in August. They run the gamut from large, new-construction projects to innovative contracting concepts, and are geographically spread across the country. They are:

• Reconstruction of a section of State Route 179 in Sedona, AZ,
• New interchange on Interstate 85 in Troup County, GA,
• Bridge replacements on State Highway 116 in Old Town and on Route 4 in Addison, ME,
• Rebuilding of a section of I-29/I-35 in Kansas City, MO,
• Replacement of five bridges on Oregon 38 between Drain and Elkton, OR,
• Repair a two-lane ramp on I-66 at US 50 in Fairfax County, VA, and
• Bridge replacement on Route 15/29 in Prince William County, VA.

The amount of discretionary funding to each recipient will be 20 percent, with a cap of $1,000,000, of the construction project engineer's estimate. Below is the anticipated funding for each of the selected projects.

• $1,000,000 plus waive State match to GA and VA (I-66)
• $1,000,000 to AZ, MO, and OR
• approximately $412,000 to ME
• waive State match to VA (Rt 15/29)

These seven projects were selected because they:

1. Serve as shining examples of what is possible with respect to improving safety and user satisfaction, minimizing construction-related congestion, and achieving high-quality, long-lasting highway infrastructure with an emphasis on highway safety and congestion relief;
2. Demonstrate a broad array of technologies, techniques, and approaches to achieving safe, high quality, and long-lasting infrastructure, while minimizing construction-related congestion and a higher user satisfaction rating;
3. Meet the highway safety and congestion relief criteria set forth in the Federal Register Notice of Funds Availability of March 22;
4. Be geographically dispersed (ideally with at least one project in each Sate); and
5. Service as a platform for promoting innovation and new technology (i.e., showcases, workshops, training, and peer-to-peer exchange).

As the attached summary shows, these selected HfL projects demonstrate a range of innovations, from roundabouts to prefabrication of pavements and bridges to innovative contracting processes which minimize the impact on the driver.

We encourage those that were not selected to continue to improve their application or seek another project that has a better potential to be an exemplary HfL project. Please note that the deadline for FY 2008 Projects is July 16, 2007. And again, thank you for your efforts.

Attachment

cc:

Associate Administrator for Research, Development and Technology
Associate Administrator for Infrastructure
Associate Administrator for Safety
Associate Administrator for Operations
Directors of Field Services
Resource Center Director
Highways for LIFE Division Office Contacts

Summary of FY '07 Highways for LIFE Demonstration Construction Projects

The Arizona Department of Transportation will reconstruct a section of State Route 179 in Sedona. The project includes construction of six roundabouts, circular intersections with design and traffic control features to improve traffic flow and safety, and a prefabricated bridge. It also features innovative contracting with incentive and disincentive clauses.

The project team has set a goal of maintaining 100 percent access to area businesses and residences during construction, a priority identified by the community. The project is expected to reduce fatalities and injuries by 20 percent compared to preconstruction. It will also reduce pavement noise and enhance ride quality.

Construction is estimated to begin in the summer 2007, with completion in the summer 2009. Their request is for $1,000,000 with projected project cost being $49,000,000.

The Georgia Department of Transportation's project to build a new interchange on Interstate 85 in Troup County will use a design-build approach that requires contractors to meet performance measures with their bids. Bidders will also be encouraged to use innovative materials and technologies, such as prefabricated bridge elements.

Project goals to lessen traffic congestion resulting from construction include reducing construction time by 40 percent through contractor incentives and clearing work zone incidents not involving injuries in less than 20 minutes.

Construction is estimated to begin in the fall 2007, with completion in the spring 2009. Their request is for $1,000,000 and a waiver of 20 percent State match (~$15,946,000) with the projected project cost being $80,730,000.

The Maine Department of Transportation will use full-road closures to accelerate construction and reduce the impact on drivers when it replaces two bridges, one on State Highways 116 in Old Town and the other on Route 4 in Addison.

By using precast, prestressed concrete superstructures, built offsite in a controlled environment, the agency expects to enhance the durability of the bridges and further reduce construction time. Among the agency's goals are an 80 percent reduction in construction time and zero work zone injuries. The shortened schedule will allow the work to be completed over the summer to avoid long detours for school buses.

Construction is estimated to begin in the spring 2007, with completion in the summer 2007. The amount of money requested is $412,000. The anticipated project cost is $2,060,000.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will rebuild a section of I-29/I-35 in Kansas City to increase capacity, improve safety and upgrade the Missouri River crossing. The project will use fixed-price, design-build contracting to encourage innovation in design, traffic management and construction phasing.

The proposed work will meet goals for ride and noise quality. The agency will require the contractor to develop a quality management system for the project and maintain a quality assurance staff. A community advisory group will meet with project leaders to identify public priorities for the project, such as bridge aesthetics.

Construction is estimated to begin in the winter 2007/2008, with completion in the fall 2011 or sooner. The amount requested for this project is $1,000,000 with the total cost of $245,000,000.

The Oregon Department of Transportation will use prefabricated bridge elements made with high-performance concrete when it replaces five bridges on Oregon 38 between Drain and Elkton. Formulated for enhanced durability and strength, high-performance concrete offers a cost-effective solution for increasing infrastructure life and reducing maintenance.

The agency will accelerate the replacement of the five bridges by moving the prefabricated structures into place overnight with self-propelled modular transporters. The goal is to minimize disruption to the traveling public and freight carriers by avoiding use of a 50-mile detour.

Construction is estimated to begin in the summer 2007, with completion in summer 2008. The amount of funding requested is $1,000,000 with the anticipated total project cost being $47,554,000.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will use precast, prestressed concrete slabs to repair a two-lane ramp on I-66 at US 50 in Fairfax County. To minimize traffic disruptions, the work will be done at night and one lane and shoulder will be replaced at a time. Using prefabricated slabs and nighttime lane closures is expected to cut construction time from more than 100 days to 35 nights. Integrated intelligent transportation systems technologies will be used to improve traffic flow and safety in the work zone.

Construction is estimated to begin in the fall 2007, with completion in fall 2008. The amount requested for this project is $1,000,000 and a waiver of State match (~$4,000,000). The preliminary estimated construction cost is $25,000,000.

In another Virginia project, a prefabricated bridge superstructure will be used to replace a bridge on Route 15/29 in Prince William County. The bridge project will use innovative contracting with incentives and disincentives. It will also use a rapid construction method by limiting traffic to one lane at night while work is completed, reducing impact on drivers by 80 percent.

Construction is estimated to begin in the fall 2007, with completion in spring 2008. The amount requested is the waiver of 20 percent State match (~$600,000) and use of 100 percent Federal Program Funds. The anticipated project cost is $2,972,000.