New AASHTO Video Outlines National Innovative Solutions; Cutting Costs and Inconvenience

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new Transportation TV video released today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Innovation in Motion, Utah DOT's I-15 CORE Project, showcases the Utah Department of Transportation's cutting-edge solutions to deliver a 24-mile, $1.725 billion interstate improvement faster, safer, and cheaper.

The video highlights four key innovative solutions being used by UDOT beginning with Fixed-Price, Best-Design, Procurement, a method of conducting the competitive bid process for a highway construction project based on a fixed price and other requirements.    

"When we first started the bidding process, we anticipated we'd get something in the 17-mile range; but in the end, we were able to get a total of 24 miles of freeway under construction for the same fixed price," said  John Njord, UDOT's executive director. "This is about doing something that saves money and people time out on the highway. We're using innovative techniques to speed project delivery and get more for every dollar we spend."

The video also focuses on three other innovation solutions:

• Accelerated Bridge Construction, which is demonstrated through the record-setting move of a 3.8-million-pound bridge;
• A Diverging Diamond Interchange, one of only a handful of such facilities in the U.S.; and
• UDOT's Innovative Strategic Communications and Public Outreach Program, which is keeping stakeholders informed and engaged in new ways.

The I-15 CORE Project is Utah's largest highway construction effort to date. The massive investment will restore, expand, and renovate I-15 in Utah County to meet transportation demands through 2030.

"This project is 100% state funded, because we're trusted," Njord says in the video. "And the reason we're trusted is because of this type of work that we do." 

Watch Innovation in Motion, Utah DOT's I-15 CORE Project to hear Njord's interview, watch the massive ABC Bridge move, and hear from some of project's leading contractors.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing state departments of transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aashtospeaks.

SOURCE American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials