The document discusses managing mobility during the design-build reconstruction of the Dallas Horseshoe highway interchange project. It describes the project's high traffic volumes and constraints. It highlights the contractor's successes in maintaining access and maximizing work during limited closures. It stresses the importance of collaboration between the agency and contractor in developing traffic control plans and finding solutions to difficult situations.

1. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Managing Mobility during Design-
Build Highway Construction –
Successes and Lessons Learned
Duane Milligan, P.E. – TxDOT
Kristopher Pruner – CTR

2. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Design-Build Method
• Schematic-level Design
• Two-Step Procurement
• Selected Design-Build Contractor responsible
for final design as well as construction
– Some construction begins while design in other
areas is ongoing
– Contractor develops Traffic Control Plans

3. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Dallas Horseshoe Project
Margaret
McDermott
Bridge
• Upgrade Roadway Geometry
• Replace IH 30 and IH 35E
Bridges across Trinity River
• Construct Additional Lanes
• Construct Margaret
McDermott Bridge

4. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Mobility Challenges
• High Volume Interstate Highways
– 460,000 average weekday traffic through project
area
• Constraints involving Houston Viaduct
• Proximity to Downtown Dallas

5. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Successes
• Traffic Control Plan designed in a way that
generally maintained existing access or
provided reasonable alternates
• Contractor structured work to maximize the
usefulness of each closure
• No overnight closures lingered into the
morning peak period

6. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night
• Work Completed during one night of full WB IH
30 and full NB IH 35E closure:
– Set 7 Tx62 girders over westbound IH 30 on Bridge 45
– Set 8 Tx62 girders over northbound IH 35E on Bridge
10
– Placed temporary shoring and work platform for
Houston Street arches, decking, and railing
– Removed bridge overhangs for completed Jefferson
Street railing
– Removed existing high mast illumination pole
– Placed 1000 lf of portable concrete barrier

7. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night

8. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night

9. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night

10. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night

11. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Horseshoe – Work during One Night

12. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Lessons Learned
• Collaboration
– Work with the contractor to find reasonable
solutions to difficult situations
• Tracking
– Ongoing and persistent monitoring of lane
closures

13. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Tools to Protect Mobility
• Stated Minimum Number of Lanes to be
Maintained
• Designated Allowable Closures
• Liquidated Damages/Lane Rental Fees
– Including an exemption amount (“Bank Balance”)
• Collaborative relationship between TxDOT and
the design-build contractor

14. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Minimum Number of Lanes
• Origin-Destination Table defines minimum number of lanes
to be maintained during peak periods
• Developed based on consideration of detours, planning,
comparison of existing and proposed conditions
# Origin Via Destination Minimum Number of Lanes to be
maintained
1 NB IH
35E
NB
IH
35E
NB IH 35E 2 Through Lanes
2 Colorado 1 Lane Exit or Detour
3 Riverfront 1 Lane Exit (2 Lanes for at least 200’
upstream of intersection)
4 Jefferson via HOV 0 (with interim HOV lane end and transition
to main lanes near Louisiana)
5 Reunion 1 Lane Exit
6 EB
IH
30
EB IH 30 2 Through Lanes either to EB IH 30 or EB IH
30 CD (or 1 lane to each) (If 2 Through
Lanes only to EB IH 30, provide slip ramp
east of Hotel Street to EB IH 30 CD)7 EB
IH
30
CD
EB IH 30 CD
8 Lamar/Griffin/Downtown Maintain Routes or Detour

15. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Allowable Closures Table
• Provides durations for which closures/detours
may be in place
• Paired with a table specifying liquidated
damages for exceeding allowable durations
# Origin Via Destination Description Allowable
Closure
Duration
(Consecutive
Calendar
Days)
2 NB IH 35E NB IH 35E Colorado NB IH 35E access to
Colorado east of IH
35E
90 Days
8 NB IH 35E EB IH 30
CD
Lamar/Griffin/Downtown NB IH 35E access to
downtown through
the EB IH 30 CD
90 Days

16. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Liquidated Damages and Lane
Rental Fees
• Liquidated Damages assessed
for Time Period A closures
• First $1,400,000 in Lane
Rental Fees exempted (Time
Periods B, C, and D)
Northbound IH
35E (South of
Mixmaster)
Time Period A
Liquidated
Damages Per
Hour
Time Period B
Lane Rental
Fees Per Hour
Time Period C
Lane Rental
Fees Per Hour
Time Period
D Lane Rental
Fees Per Hour
One Lane Closed $10,000 $2,000 $100 $50
Two Lanes Closed $20,000 $5,000 $500 $100
Three Lanes
Closed
$50,000 $20,000 $2,000 $500
Four Lanes
Closed (Full Main
Lane Closure)
$100,000 $50,000 $5,000 $2,000
HourDay Sun Mon-
Thu
Fri Sat
… … … … …
4:00 D D D D
5:00 D C C D
6:00 D A A C
7:00 C A A B
8:00 C A A B
9:00 C A A B
10:00 B B B B
11:00 B B B B
12:00 B B B B
13:00 B B B B
14:00 B B B B
… … … … …

17. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Collaborative Relationship
• TxDOT and contractor met frequently during
design process
• Difficult areas reviewed jointly to develop
solutions
• Closures scheduled and discussed in advance
• Documentation of actual closure times provided
following each closure
• Periodic, structured review of lane rental hours
and fee calculations to make sure each party
agrees with amounts

18. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Keys to Success
• Before/During Procurement
– Evaluate mobility needs near beginning of
procurement
– Give clear direction to proposers in draft contract
documents
– Be open to feedback from proposers and consider
changes

19. COLLABORATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE.
Keys to Success
• During Design/Construction
– Work collaboratively with the contractor during
TCP design to make sure public’s needs are being
met
– Stay on top of tracking closures
• Future Projects
– Use lessons learned to improve later projects