When the Interstate 35 West bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis tragically collapsed in 2007, the Minnesota Department of Transportation moved immediately to replace the three-quarter-mile-long section of freeway. Thirteen months later, the reconstructed 10-lane highway bridge reopened a full three months ahead of what had been considered an incredibly ambitious schedule. It was a remarkable achievement made possible by hard work, outside-the-box thinking and a design-build contract.
A method long used by firms like Burns & McDonnell to speed project delivery and control costs on private industry projects, design-build is becoming more common on public road and bridge projects. The city of Kansas City, Mo., for example, recently named Harrington & Cortelyou part of a design-build team for the 78th Street pedestrian bridge that crosses Kansas City Southern Railway tracks.
It’s an effective tool. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration found that design-build road and bridge projects had shorter project duration, fewer contractor claims and higher client satisfaction than traditional design-bid-build.
As Burns & McDonnell and Harrington & Cortelyou combine, we’re poised to make this tool work for you, our clients. Read more here. There is a time and a place for all approaches to design and construction. For design-build, the time is becoming frequent, and the places are growing.
