New Jersey Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Fran O’Connor said Thursday that the agency will advertise its first design-build project later this year.
Design-build projects are changing the way agencies and projects are awarded. The announcement could spell dramatic changes for engineering firms and contractors, with billions of dollars of projects planned for the coming year on the heels of an update to the Transportation Trust Fund.
Mr. O’Connor broke the news during a New Jersey Action Alliance meeting held at Forthgate Country Club. Mr. O’Connor was a featured speaker on the Alliance’s Inside Scoop series.
Design-build jobs offer a unique approach to project delivery by combining design and construction services into one contract. This integrated approach has many benefits, including: Collaboration between architect and contractor. Accelerate project schedule. Increased efficiency. and cost reduction.
“This important change to the way publicly funded construction projects are awarded in the state will improve the project delivery process and foster opportunities for innovation and cost savings,” O’Connor said. “Design-build creates design and construction teams to streamline processes and eliminate potential risks before project delivery is delayed.”
O’Connor said the first New Jersey Department of Transportation project to use a design-build approach will be the replacement of an entire bridge in Cape May County. The Highway 50 bridge over Cedar Swamp Creek in Upper Township is part of New Jersey’s coastal evacuation route.
O’Connor was named acting chief earlier this year after Diane Gutierrez-Scassetti became Gov. Phil Murphy’s chief of staff.