Final Design
The Final Design (FD) Phase formally
begins once Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA)
approves the FD funding and
the FD Addendum is executed.
If the Preliminary
Engineering (PE) Designer
is not retained for FD, the
process to select a new designer
is initiated. This phase
of project development concludes
in the completion of construction
contract documents (i.e.,
project plans, specifications,
construction schedule and
construction estimate).
The FD Phase includes
continuing and completing
tasks started during the
PE Phase,
such as roadway design, bridge
design, right of way and
access engineering, utility
engineering, environmental
permits and clearances, and
community outreach. The completion
of these tasks involves various
internal and external project
stakeholders. Stakeholder
coordination includes review
meetings with internal offices
and communication with local
officials, the general public
and other state and federal
agencies. Communication with public
and local officials is guided
by a project-specific public involvement
action plan.
Note: Projects
meeting the requirements
of Limited Scope will include
a subset of the FD Phase
elements listed above.
The FD Phase is completed
when the project is authorized
for construction, which initiates
the Construction (CON) Phase
of project delivery. FD
closeout activities include
closing the project’s design
job number and issuing an
addendum to the design consultant’s
contract covering any needed
construction engineering
services.
Objective(s)
The major objective of the FD
Phase is to produce the project’s
construction contract documents
(i.e., Final Plans, Specifications,
and Cost Estimate) for use
in soliciting bids from prospective
contractors, and moving the
project to the CON Phase.
This requires the continuation
and completion of environmental
and engineering tasks initiated
in the PE
Phase.
An important objective during
the FD Phase is to
maintain the project’s scope,
as defined by the products
completed during the Concept
Development (CD) and PE
Phases. Some
actions used to maintain
the project’s
scope include informing stakeholders
of the project’s scope, the
main goals and objectives
and schedule and budgetary
constraints. Any
proposed change in the project
scope, as defined in the
New Jersey Department of
Transportation's (NJDOT)
project development procedures,
requires approval from NJDOT’s
Change Control Board.
Developing quality products is
another important objective
of the FD Phase. The phase
includes quality-based tasks,
such as completion of the
Quality Management Final
Design Submission Certification
and Plans, Specifications
and Estimate Certification
by the designer, the completion
of a formal Design Communications
Report (DCR) for each project,
and the use of on-board reviews
to obtain any necessary input
and guidance from various
subject matter experts. The
DCR documents the various
coordination efforts completed
for the project with internal
and external stakeholders,
and serves to document project-related
directions and decisions.
Maintenance of the project’s
budget and schedule are also
important objectives of the
FD Phase. The phase includes budget
and schedule maintenance tasks,
including routine monitoring and
updating of the budget and schedule,
maintenance of the project’s
scope, and identifying and approving
budget and/or schedule revisions
when necessary.
Funding
Funding for the FD Phase
requires authorization and
may involve state and/or
federal funding sources.
Depending on the project’s
specific scope, funding authorizations
also may be needed for the
purchase of right of way,
and for utility accommodations
associated with the CON Phase.
When using federal funding, authorization
requests must be supported
by an environmental document.
Key Stakeholders
Producing the project’s
construction contract documents
and obtaining the necessary
environmental permits and clearances
requires coordination with numerous
internal and external stakeholders. Major
internal stakeholders include
Subject Matter Experts (SME) in
design, environmental, and landscape
architecture offices, and NJDOT’s
administrative management and public
relations personnel. Additional
outside agencies include other
state and federal transportation
agencies, state and federal environmental
resource agencies, and offices
and organizations affiliated
with any counties and municipalities
affected by the project.
During this phase, the FD Public
Involvement Action Plan (PIAP)
is executed for the project,
that will guide activities
to communicate news and information
to municipal, county and
state officials and the general
public. Specific activities
will vary depending on the
project’s
scope and complexity. Actions
may include public information
centers, formal public hearings,
briefings with municipal,
county and state representatives,
press releases, a project-specific
web site, and newsletters.
Some typical Project Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the following:
Internal Stakeholders (SME):
- Division of Project Management
- Division of Community and Constituent
Relations
- Bureau of Structural Engineering
- Bureau of Traffic and Signal Safety Engineering
- Bureau of Traffic Engineering and Investigations
- Bureau of Safety Programs
- Value Solutions Unit
- Value Engineering Unit
- Bureau of Quality Management
Services
- Bureau of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Solutions
- Hydraulics and Hydrology
- Bureau of Program Systems Management
- Office of Schedule and Budget
Management
- Division of Bridge Engineering
and Infrastructure Management
- Division of Highway and Traffic
Design
- Bureau of Access Design and Right of Way Engineering
- Office of Geotechnical Engineering
- Drainage and Pavement Management
- Regional Maintenance Operations
- Utility Management Unit
- Bureau of Regional Design,
and Surveying Services
- Bureau of Traffic Operations and Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Office of Constructability Review
- Bureau of Construction Management
- Bureau of Commuter and Mobility
Strategies (Bicycle and
Pedestrian Unit)
External Stakeholders:
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- NJ Department of Environmental
Protection (e.g., Land
Use Permits, State Historic
Preservation Office, Green
Acres, etc.)
- Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
- NJ TRANSIT
- Pinelands Commission
- Highlands Commission
- D&R Canal Commission
- Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
- Delaware River Ports Authority
- NJ Water Supply Authority
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- US Coast Guard
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Business groups
- Local Officials
- Elected Officials
- Affected residents
Phase Initiation
To initiate the FD Phase,
the following activities
should be completed:
- Capital Program Committee (CPC)
approval of the PE package
and advancement of the
project to the FD Phase
- Approval of the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) document
- Approval of the Design Exception Report, if applicable
- Approval of the FD
Project Management Plan
and Annual Financial Plan
(only for major projects)
Major Tasks
The major tasks associated
with the FD Phase are
summarized below:
- Implementation of the
FD Public Involvement Action
Plan
- Completion of Right of Way Engineering and Right of Way Acquisitions
- Completion of engineering for Utility Accommodations/Relocations
- Completion of Supplemental Surveys, as required, to produce the project’s construction contract documents
- Completion of Structures Plans and Documents
- Completion of Horizontal and Vertical Geometry and Roadway Plans
- Completion of Access Design for residential and/or commercial driveways affected by the project
- Secure Environmental Permits and any other environmental clearances required for the project
- Completion of Environmental Plans
- Completion of Environmental Reevaluations, as required
- Completion of Drainage Design
- Completion of Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Report and Design
- Completion of Design Communications Report
- Execution of Jurisdictional Agreements
- Execution of Local Police Traffic Agreement for traffic control during construction
- Completion of Pavement Design
- Completion of Landscape Design
- Completion of Traffic Signing, Striping and Signal Plans
- Completion of Lighting Design
- Completion of Intelligent
Transportation Systems
Facilities Design
- Completion of an Interim Design Submission, if necessary
- Review of Design Deliverables
by appropriate Subject
Matter Experts (SME)
- Review of Final Design
Submission by appropriate
SME
- Review of the FD
Submission by the FHWA,
if necessary, as outlined
in the Stewardship Agreement
with NJDOT
- Resolution of FD
Comments as documented
in the project’s Design Communications Report
- Certification of the Project’s Construction Contract Documents (i.e., Plans, Specifications, and Estimate)
Efforts to monitor and control the project’s
development during the FD
Phase include:
- Updating the project’s Design Communications Report
- Providing project background
information, progress reports,
and important issues and
items in NJDOT’s
Project Reporting System
(PRS)
- Tracking and updating
the project’s baseline
schedule and budget
- Contract Management efforts, such as reviewing and approving project invoices and accompanying progress reports
- On-site Monitoring of Design Consultant to review project progress, status of budget, and quality of products
- Presenting project status at Department meetings, such as 60- to 90-Day Look Ahead Meetings and Pre-Advertisement Meetings
- Presenting any major deviations in the project’s scope to the Department’s Change Control Board
Products
The major products for the
FD Phase include:
- Project Contract Documents
(Plans, Specifications,
and Construction Estimate)
to obtain bids from
prospective contractors
- Environmental Re-evaluation
- Project Environmental Permits and Clearances
- Executed Jurisdictional Agreement with involved municipalities and counties, as required
- Executed Utility Agreements
- Right of Way acquired for the project
- Access Design Agreements executed with property owners whose driveways are affected by the project
- Completed Design Communications Report
- Construction schedule that supports the overall project completion time frames outlined in the project’s specifications
Phase Closing
The following items must
be completed to close out
the FD Phase:
- For federally funded projects, a Department Certification of the project’s Plans, Specifications, and Construction Estimate (i.e., Construction Contract Documents)
- Designer’s certification
of the Construction Contract
Documents (FD Submission
and Plans, Specifications,
and Construction Estimate
Submission)
- Department Certification of the Construction Contract Documents to FHWA
- Department Right of Way Certification, documenting the availability of the right of way needed for the project, or identifying when such right of way will be available
- Department Utility Certification, documenting that all required utility company agreements are executed and any appropriate utility agreement modifications are underway
- Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Certification
- Approved Environmental Permits and Clearances
- For federally funded projects, a project summary information form in support of the construction funding authorization request
- For federally funded
projects, an appropriate
environmental document
(typically an Environmental
Re-evaluation), in support
of the funding authorization
request
- For state funded projects, for which the design was completed with federal funds, an updated environmental document must be provided to FHWA.
- A completed job number request form (AC-1643) to secure a new job number for the Construction Phase
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