Preliminary Engineering
Executive Summary
The Preliminary Engineering (PE) Phase
formally begins once the
Capital Program Committee
(CPC) approves and advances
the Concept Development (CD)
Study, PE funding is authorized
and an in-house designer
is selected or a consultant
designer
is under contract for the
PE Phase. If
a consultant designer is
required, the consultant selection
process is performed during
the CD Phase and an agreement
is executed before the start
of the PE Phase.
The PE Phase involves performing engineering tasks and technical environmental studies. Objectives include obtaining approval from the community through a public information center, approval of the environmental document and creation of an Approved Project Plan. If a design exception is necessary on a project, preparation and approval of the Design Exception Report will be done during the PE Phase.
Note: Projects
meeting the requirements
of Limited Scope will include
a subset of the PE Phase
elements listed above.
A number of activities are simultaneously
set in motion based on the Preliminary
Preferred Alternative (PPA), such
as community involvement (meetings
with affected property, business
owners), agency consultation, environmental
documentation, design level mapping
and design services.
To get formal community consensus,
a Public Information Center
(PIC) will be conducted,
which may lead to some adjustments
to the PPA. In
the end, local representatives
will be asked to submit a
Resolution of Support endorsing
the project, if formal support
was not obtained during the
Concept Development Phase.
To get environmental approvals
for the PPA, consultation
with cooperating agencies,
for example, the State Historic
Preservation Office, may
be necessary. The approved
Environmental Document will
be based on technical studies
conducted by the consultant
and/or environmental teams
within the Bureau of Landscape
Architecture and Environmental
Solutions.
Any new project risks from either
the PIC or the environmental
consultations should be provided
to the Project Manager for
inclusion in the Risk Register.
The tasks conducted during this
phase will be based on complexity
of the PPA and will include:
development of design level
base plans; preparation of
pavement recommendation;
development of geometric
design (horizontal, vertical
alignment, type, size, location,
etc.) that clarifies environmental
and right of way (ROW) impacts;
utility discovery and verification;
geotechnical studies (soil
borings and analysis) for
foundation and pavement design;
preliminary drainage work;
access impact evaluation;
identification of new risks
and risk analysis, and development
of property acquisition cost
estimates and a project cost
estimate.
Objective(s)
The major objective of the PE
Phase is to further develop
and refine the PPA with the
detail necessary to secure
the approval of the environmental
document and a Design Exception
Report.
Funding
Funding for the PE
Phase is dependent on Capital
Investment Planning and Development
(CIPD) approval. The
project design should meet
the requirements of a federally
funded project. Only the
amount of design required
to secure the approval of
the Environmental Document
and a Design Exception Report
is to be completed during
the PE Phase.
Key Stakeholders
Consultation with regulatory/permitting
agencies, local representatives
and the public continues
in the PE
Phase to publicize the environmental
and socio-economic impacts
of the proposed project and
to recognize the concerns
of the community. New
Jersey Department of Transportation
(NJDOT) Subject Matter Experts
(SMEs) are consulted to comply
with the design guidelines,
and Permitting Agencies are
consulted to satisfy NJDOT’s
legal requirements. Utility
companies are conferred with
to evaluate any future impacts
and costs associated with
the PPA, including the possible
need to relocate utilities.
Some typical Project Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the following:
Internal Stakeholders (SME):
- Division of Project Management
- Bureau of Structural
Engineering
- Geometric Solutions Unit
- Value Engineering Unit
- Bureau of Traffic Engineering
- Bureau of Landscape Architecture
and Environmental Solutions
- Office of Stormwater/Stream
Encroachment
- Bureau of Geotechnical
Engineering
- Bureau of Access Design
and Right of Way Engineering
- Pavement and Drainage
Management
- Bureau of Transportation
Data and Safety
- Bureau of Commuter and
Mobility Strategies (Bicycle
and Pedestrian Unit)
- Office
of Jurisdictional Agreements
- Bureau of Traffic Operations
- Bureau of Mobility and
Systems Engineering
- Regional Maintenance
Operations
- Utility Management Unit
- Office of Schedule and
Budget Management
- Office of Constructability
Review
- Bureau of Regional Design
and Surveying Services
- Office of Geodetic Survey
Services
- Division of Community
and Constituent Relations
- Division of Bridge Engineering
and Infrastructure Management
- Division of Highway and
Traffic Design
- Risk Managment Support
Group
External Stakeholders:
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- US Coast Guard
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- State Historic Preservation Office
- Highlands Commission
- Pineland Commission
- Delaware River Canal Commission
- NJ Water Authority
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- NJ TRANSIT
- North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
- South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization
- New Jersey Turnpike Authority
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
- Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
- Delaware River Port Authority
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Business, community groups
- Elected local representatives
- Residential/commercial property owners
- Local School Board, Hospitals
- Commuters
Phase Initiation
To initiate the PE
Phase, the following activities
should be completed:
- CPC approves the graduation
of the CD Study to the
PE Phase
- Authorization of
PE funding
- Execution of Consultant
Designer Agreement
- Closeout of CD Phase
Major Tasks
The major tasks associated
with the PE Phase
are summarized below:
- Develop design level base mapping
- Develop PPA further to establish roadway geometry and structure type, size and location as needed to gain approval of the Design Exceptions and/or environmental document
- Prepare pavement recommendation
- Develop PPA further to assess Air/Noise, ecological resources, cultural resources, hazardous material and socio-economic impacts caused by the PPA
- Prepare Environmental Document
- Send Utility Verification Request Letter to mark utility facilities and initiate utility agreement processing
- Perform subsurface utility engineering and test pits, if necessary
- Perform subsurface investigation for foundation and pavement design, if necessary
- Evaluate input and populate
risk register
- Initiate Roadway Geometrics
- Initiate structure type, size, location determination
- Initiate ROW/Access plans
- Initiate utility relocation process
- Prepare Design Exception Report, if applicable
- Determine Project cost including construction, design, ROW, utility, maintenance/protection of traffic
- Execute PE Public Involvement Action Plan
- Obtain formal public consensus and resolution of support from local elected officials
- Update Utility Risk Assessment
Plan
- Update risk register
with identified risks and
perform risk analysis,
if necessary
- Develop risk response
strategies and action plans
- Draft, review and finalize PE Report
- Establishment of the
project's Final Design
(FD) baseline schedule
and budget. That effort
is needed to confirm or
establish the project's
funding program, and to
establish funding accounts
for consultant and in-house
final design services
- Execute Final Design
Addendum or Agreement with
a design consultant, except
for in-house design projects
- Develop FD Scope Statement
- Identify FD activities
to address specific risk
response action plans
Efforts to monitor and control
the project’s development
during the PE Phase
include:
- Updating the project’s Design Communications Report
- Maintaining the project's
Risk Register
- Providing project background
information, progress reports,
and important issues and
items in NJDOT’s
Project Reporting System
(PRS)
- Establishing, tracking and updating the project’s baseline schedule and budget
- Contract Management efforts, such as reviewing and approving project invoices and accompanying progress reports
Products
The major products for the
PE Phase include:
- Approved Environmental Document
- Approved Project Plan
- Approved Design Exception Report, if applicable
- Final Design Scope Statement
- Final Design Public Involvement
Action Plan
- Construction Cost Estimate
- Design Level Base Mapping (1”=30 ft. scale)
- Pavement Recommendation
- Risk Register
- Updated Utility Risk
Assessment Plan
- Utility Agreements, as appropriate
- ROW impact plans, as appropriate
- Access impact plans, as appropriate
- Utility base plans
- Design Communications Report
- PE Report
Phase Closing
The following items must
be completed to leave the
PE Phase:
- Final invoice payment
- Approved Environmental Document
- Approved Project Plan
- Approved Design Exception Report, if applicable
- Design Communications Report
- Revised Scope Statement forms
- Design Level Base Mapping
- Pavement Recommendation
- ROW/Access plans
- Utility base plans
- Utility Agreements
- Formal public consensus and local resolution of support
- PE Report (approved by FHWA)
- PE designer assessment
- Notice of Authorization
Some files are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (available at our Adobe Access Page).
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