“The slide is the result of a slope failure near the
highway that’s caused by the nearby Red Lake River,” said Jim Bittmann, project
manager. “It has not currently affected the safety of the road surface, but it
has the potential to in the future.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is using the
design-build process for this project. “A benefit with using the design-build
method is that it streamlines the process,” explained Bittmann. “It allows the
project to start much sooner than with design-bid-build method by bringing
designers and contractors together earlier in the process.”
Design-build also allows for more flexibility and the
opportunity to reduce overall costs. Five consultants are currently working to
design their own fix within the parameters that MnDOT has defined for project
success. The department will then select the consultant that provides the best
overall value.
“By using consultants to help design the project they
ultimately will construct, it allows for more efficiency throughout the process
and possibly a solution that our engineers may not have thought of,” said
Bittmann.
Details on this design-build project on Highway 2 in
Crookston can be found at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/designbuild/hwy2crookston/index.html.
For information on the design-build process visit http://www.dot.state.mn.us/designbuild/.
