Challenge Design-Build Project Delivery Addressed

The owner chose the design-build project delivery primarily to meet the short schedule required to qualify for federal American Recovery and Reconstruction Act (ARRA) funding, intended to create near-term jobs. Additional reasons included achieving a lower bid, reducing cost over-runs and reducing construction time over-runs.

Summary

The Veterans Memorial Bridge in Martin County, Florida is a premier example of the design-build approach meeting challenging schedules and fostering innovation to produce a cost-effective project. Three organized legal challenges threatened to halt the project: a federal injunction, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) challenges and permitting challenges. The team never gave up pursuit of project acceptance, permit approvals, design and construction. As a result, a once controversial project is now considered a resounding success by all stakeholders.

Design-Build Team

Client/Owner: Funding Partner and Contract Administrator: Florida Department of Transportation, District 4, Facility Owner and Maintaining Agency: Martin County
Design-Builder: Archer Western Contractors, LLC
General Contractor: Archer Western Contractors, LLC
Engineer: RS&H
Specialty Contractors: Ranger Construction Industries, Bob’s Barricades, Concrete Services, Dane Construction and Company, Inc., DT Read Steel Co., Felix Associates, Finishing Systems of Florida, Hazeltine Nurseries, Signal Group Inc., Vstructural, LLC
Specialty Consultants: Ardaman & Associates, Cotleur & Hearing, Inc., GBF Engineering, Inc., GCME, Inc., IDA Consulting Engineers, Inc., Manuel G. Vera & Associates, Inc., INTERA, Inc., Progressive Design & Engineering, Inc.
Duration of Construction: 51 months
Project Cost: $67,456,000