Best Practices for Highway Project Scoping

One of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) foremost priorities in fulfilling its mission is to deliver successful projects — quality solutions that meet the defined scope and are delivered on time and within the budget specified in the Highway Plan. When a project scope is not clearly defined or uncertain, revisions may take place after the project is already underway, leading to delays or overpromising what can be delivered. Ideally, a reliable, decisive project scope is defined in the early phases of the highway project development process. The scope should include a project definition that clearly communicates the project scope’s framework and specifies what the project will and will not deliver. Recognizing the effectiveness of systematic approaches for managing preconstruction engineering activities and resources, KYTC initiated a study to identify effective methods for defining highway projects. The findings presented in this report will help KYTC strengthen scoping processes so it can clearly and accurately identify project needs, better control project development activities, optimize resource use, keep activities on schedule, and improve project outcomes. The guidance in this report is targeted for the phase of project development that begins will the purpose and need statement and progresses to letting. Each recommended best practice defines a goal and implementation strategies, and is ranked by implementation effort and value to the agency

Project Management Research Support

Like many state transportation agencies, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) faces unprecedented challenges related to project development and management. Staff losses due to attrition and retirements have resulted in the loss of institutional knowledge. Early- to mid-career project managers (PMs) shoulder more responsibilities than ever while being expected to deliver over 600 successful projects each year. To improve the efficiency of project management, PMs must be able to access effective project management concepts, tools, and strategies which are field validated. Recognizing the importance of strengthening its project management capabilities, the Cabinet asked the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to provide ongoing support in this area. This report presents a high-level summary of the support delivered over a three-year period, including a review of project management practices at 11 state transportation agencies, a peer exchange convened with key stakeholders at the Utah Department of Transportation, the development and delivery of multiple Project Manager’s Boot Camp (PMBC) trainings, creating articles on project time management, assistance with software implementation (PDP-Precon and AASHTOWare Estimation), the selection and implementation of division-specific performance measures, and building a database which describes and links to administrative regulations and statues with a transportation focus. Recommendations are advanced to help KYTC deepen its commitment to effective project management

2+1 Roadway Design Guidance Update

The frequency and severity of crashes on rural two-lane roadways have increased in the US relative to other road types. This trend can be explained by the growing number of vehicles, higher speeds, narrow shoulders, and vehicle mixes. One solution for improving traffic flow and safety outcomes on rural two-lane roadways is to adopt a 2+1 design, which confers the benefits of four-lane highways but at a lower cost. Transportation agencies throughout Europe — and increasingly the US — have seen good results from 2+1 layouts. Crash data from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Denmark reveal better safety outcomes following the implementation of 2+1 designs, with reductions in fatal and fatal and injury crash rates of 25 – 80 percent. Studies in the United States have found crash declines of 35 – 44 percent following the transition to 2+1 layouts. Over the past 10 years, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has built several 2+1 roadways. Evaluations of three 2+1 segments in the state found lower crash rates on two segments, however, not enough crash data are available to draw definitive conclusions. Despite this lack of confirmatory data, there is consensus among practitioners that 2+1 designs hold considerable promise for improving rural roadway operations. Building off of 2+1 guidance originally issued by KYTC in 2013, this report outlines updated policies that account for lessons learned at the agency during the design and construction of 2+1 roadways as well as best practices adopted by other states

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Right of Way Process Review (Phase I)

From the Executive Summary: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is responsible for planning, developing, constructing, and maintaining a prodigious inventory of roadway and bridge assets throughout the state. Project development is a complex process involving the coordination of numerous divisions and preconstruction disciplines across the Cabinet. On many projects, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition presents many challenges. Frequently, the ROW process is found on the critical path, meaning that it effectively governs a project’s overall duration. In some cases — especially on more complex projects — acquiring the ROW may take several years. Recognizing the need to shorten the duration and improve the efficiency of the ROW process, Cabinet leadership commissioned researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to organize and facilitate the activities of a ROW Process Review Team. All members of the team were selected by KYTC leadership, and it consisted entirely of current and retired Cabinet personnel. Cabinet leadership envisioned a two-phase project. During Phase I (the subject of this report) the ROW Process Review Team mapped out the current ROW processand generated process improvement ideas. Phase II, if authorized, will focus on the implementation of selected process improvements. This report begins with a discussion of the methodological approach used for this project. At the project’s outset, ROW Process Review Team members documented KYTC’s current ROW process by estimating activity durations and preparing timelines for a concept project. Team members focused on the most critical, or limiting, activities, finding that tasks associated with Appraisals, Acquisitions, and Relocations have the longest durations. Seventeen Gantt charts mapping the ROW process were prepared; each chart delineates major tasks and their constitutive steps (Appendix C). Team members subsequently turned their attention to identifying measures that could shorten the process’s overall duration. Invited speakers from the Federal Highway Administration and Indiana Department of Transportation shared their experiences,thoughts on best practices,and strategies that had been used effectively at other state transportation agencies to expedite and streamline ROW acquisition. Using its review of the Cabinet’s current ROW process and information on other state policies and practices as a springboard, team members embarked on a series of intensive brainstorming sessions, eventually generating over 100 prospective ideas to bolster the efficiency of the ROW process. Concurrently, the research team administered surveys to and conducted interviews with consultants and KYTC district-level attorneys to solicit their ideas on amending the ROW process

2+1 Roadway Design Guidance Update

SPR 21-605The frequency and severity of crashes on rural two-lane roadways have increased in the US relative to other road types. This trend can be explained by the growing number of vehicles, higher speeds, narrow shoulders, and vehicle mixes. One solution for improving traffic flow and safety outcomes on rural two-lane roadways is to adopt a 2+1 design, which confers the benefits of four-lane highways but at a lower cost. Transportation agencies throughout Europe \u2014 and increasingly the US \u2014 have seen good results from 2+1 layouts. Crash data from Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Denmark reveal better safety outcomes following the implementation of 2+1 designs, with reductions in fatal and fatal and injury crash rates of 25 \u2013 80 percent. Studies in the United States have found crash declines of 35 \u2013 44 percent following the transition to 2+1 layouts. Over the past 10 years, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has built several 2+1 roadways. Evaluations of three 2+1 segments in the state found lower crash rates on two segments, however, not enough crash data are available to draw definitive conclusions. Despite this lack of confirmatory data, there is consensus among practitioners that 2+1 designs hold considerable promise for improving rural roadway operations. Building off of 2+1 guidance originally issued by KYTC in 2013, this report outlines updated policies that account for lessons learned at the agency during the design and construction of 2+1 roadways as well as best practices adopted by other states