Last Thursday, the Washington Department of Transportation signed a $1.35 billion contract with Seattle Tunnel Partners to design and construct a tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct near Seattle’s waterfront.  Seattle Tunnel Partners – a joint venture between Dragados USA and Tutor Perini Corporation – was identified last month as the best value proposer.

An engineering marvel, the proposed tunnel is expected to be 200 feet below downtown Seattle.  It will have an approximate exterior diameter of 55 feet and an approximate length of 1.7 miles. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Questions.htm#11. 

The tunnel will accommodate a 32-foot wide roadway with a 15 foot vertical clearance. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/35FAE5C0-C79F-496D-9354-DEC2E4E98819/0/SR99BoredTunnel_STP.pdf 

The RFP included a suggested substantial completion date of November 1, 2016.  But Seattle Tunnel Partners expects to have it completed by December, 2015.  Subcontractors include Frank Coluccio Construction and Mowat Construction for construction and HNTB Corporation and Intecsa-Inarsa for design.

Earlier this week, the Lebanon Community School Corporation board of trustees selected design-build as the delivery method for its upcoming corporation-wide building renovation project.  The board’s decision was based heavily on the fact that Hamilton Southeastern and Noblesville schools recently opted for design-build with their renovation projects.  http://reporter.net/local/x1293915610/LCSC-opts-for-design-build-method-for-upcoming-project 

Design-build offers cost and time savings over competitive bidding, which requires multiple stages of procurement and longer design and construction phases.  Check out my posts discussing the Top 5 Reasons to select design-build over competitive bidding.  http://www.designbuildboard.com/?s=Reasons

The Design Build Institute of America continues adding to its educational resources for design-build project delivery.  Following a recent position statement on “integrated project delivery,” DBIA has now released a statement on forming a design-build entity. 

According to the statement, a design-build entity can take virtually any form:  contractor-led, designer-led, joint venture, single purpose entity, or integrated firm with in-house design and construction capabilities.  It cautions, however, that regardless of its form, the design-build entity must meet three conditions:

1.  A single entity holds the contract with the owner;

2.  This entity is contractually responsible for the management and performance of both design and construction and possesses the financial and managerial resources to perform the design-build contract; and

3.  After discussion by the parties, risk for both design and construction is appropriately assigned to the party best able to manage, price and insure the risk.

The full statement is available through a link on DBIA’s website:  http://www.dbia.org/NR/rdonlyres/6E3F13AC-C273-400F-AAB4-35773DF8D08D/0/DBIAPS_orgofdbentity.pdf

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of State issued a press release regarding the Project of the Year Award it received at the Design-Build Institute of America’s annual conference last week.  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/10/150018.htm

Completed in March, the $172M project “provides a more secure, safer, and more functional facility for approximately 210 embassy employees.”  The press release also notes that the project overcame significant challenges and that it ”reflects the importance of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Sudan, and emphasizes the commitment of the United States to remain engaged with the Sudanese people as they strive to build a peaceful and prosperous society.”

Other award winners are listed on DBIA’s website: http://www.dbia.org/about/awards/national/2010winners.htm.

In 2009, Minnesota enacted legislation giving counties the authority to use the design-build process.  This Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 27 and 28), the Anoka County Highway Department is hosting open houses to discuss its first design-build project:  a $36.7M reconstruction and overpass project  from Crane Street in Coon Rapids to Ulysses Street in Blaine. 

The qualification process has already started, and requests for proposals are expected to be evaluated early next year.  The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is a national leader in design-build project delivery and undoubtedly contributed to the new legislation and projects for counties.  Anoka County officials are touting design-build as providing a faster and more cost effective option for delivering this project.  http://abcnewspapers.com/2010/10/23/open-houses-set-on-main-street-project/