As a member of the General Engineering Consultant team, TRAUNER developed and helped administer Maine’s Statewide design-build program. For each assigned project, there were several main tasks including: review and coordination with MaineDOT, RFQ development and advertisement, RFP development, risk assessment, and contract document preparation.
The first project involved the procurement of a design-build team to design and construct approximately 4,000 feet of new access road connecting Commercial Street in Portland to I-295 near the Congress Street intersection. This project included two new railroad crossings and three new signalized intersections. Coordination with the City of Portland and utilities was required, and maintenance of traffic was critical. MaineDOT selected this project for their design-build program in an effort to have the project completed in a reduced period of time due to the planned new hospital (Mercy) to be constructed in the project area.
In order to provide MaineDOT with recommendations for design-build documents appropriate for consideration, TRAUNER reviewed documents of other states that are successfully using design-build for highway projects.. A complete review of the preliminary engineering for this project was undertaken to determine the overall level of completeness and suitability for issuance as supporting documentation for the RFP.
As the next step, we developed a RFQ, including the evaluation criteria, advertised the RFQ, answered questions that arose, and evaluated and shortlisted qualified teams. The third task involved development of a draft and final RFP document, including stand alone general conditions for design-build projects. We also provided answers to questions and requests for clarifications from the design-build teams, evaluated proposals, and participated in the selection of the successful design-build team.
In a follow-on contract, TRAUNER assisted MaineDOT with the development of design-build documents and oversight services for the Veterans Memorial Bridge project in Portland, ME. The Veterans Memorial Bridge is the 6th bridge project for which we have provided advisory services to MaineDOT over a 16 year period, beginning in 1993.
Under this contract, TRAUNER reviewed and prepared design-build procurement documents, including the RFQ and RFP, and conducted a risk assessment and allocation workshop. In addition, TRAUNER provided assistance during the proposal evaluation process. TRAUNER trained MaineDOT field staff in the areas of design-build project administration and inspection. We evaluated estimates and schedules for various bridge construction alternatives with the help of our engineering DBE subconsultant, KS Engineers. Furthermore, TRAUNER will provide construction phase advisory services, including claims avoidance, contract administration, change order review, schedule reviews, and dispute resolution.