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To accelerate the process of purchasing federally funded safety devices and installing them on local and rural roads to address safety concerns, State departments of transportation (DOTs) are developing innovative approaches to materials procurement and installation. These methods are resulting in faster installation of proven, low-cost safety countermeasures that are saving lives today.
Alternative contracting methods such as public agency force accounts can increase the pace and decrease the cost of delivering safety improvement projects. This approach to project delivery is an efficient and effective tool for both improving safety as well as reducing the time and cost to install proven, low-cost safety solutions.
Across the Nation, State agencies are regularly challenged to find innovative mechanisms to install life-saving safety improvements faster, preventing crashes now instead of in 3 or 5 years, which is often the anticipated timeline when agencies use traditional contracting methods on such projects. Florida and Missouri are examples of States that are putting a unique twist on the Design-Build (DB) contracting method to overcome this challenge.
Alternative contracting approaches are becoming more widely used across the Nation. These methods can streamline Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) project delivery, save money, and increase the rate at which needed safety improvements are installed. In the case of IDIQ contracting, agencies are able to “bundle” low-cost safety projects under a single contract.
