S-4468.2  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6439

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Wood, Haugen, Prince and Horn; by request of Department of Transportation)

Read first time 02/05/98.

Authorizing design-build demonstration projects.

    AN ACT Relating to construction of certain highway projects under a design-build procedure; creating new sections; and providing a contingent expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds and declares that a contracting procedure that facilitates construction of transportation facilities in a more timely manner may occasionally be needed to ensure that construction can proceed simultaneously with the design of the facility.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The department of transportation shall develop, by January 1, 1999, a process for awarding competitively bid highway construction contracts for projects that may be constructed using a design-build procedure.  As used in this section, "design-build procedure" means a method of contracting under which the department of transportation contracts with another party for such party to both design and build the structures, facilities, and other items specified in the contract.

    The process developed by the department shall, at a minimum, include the scope of services required under the design-build procedure, contractor prequalification requirements, criteria for evaluating technical information and project costs, contractor selection criteria, and an issue resolution procedure.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A demonstration program consisting of two projects must be implemented using the design-build method of contracting, as prescribed under a process developed by the department of transportation under section 2 of this act.  The department shall select projects normally valued over ten million dollars for the demonstration program on the basis of:

    (1) The construction activities are highly specialized and a design-build approach, as defined in section 2 of this act, is critical in developing the construction methodology; or

    (2) The projects selected provide opportunity for greater innovation and efficiencies between the designer and the builder; or

    (3) Significant savings in project delivery time would be realized.

    The department shall present progress reports on the demonstration projects to the legislative transportation committee and the alternative public works oversight committee during the course of the performance of the demonstration projects.  The department shall present a final detailed report to the legislative transportation committee within one year of completion of the demonstration projects.  The report must detail the advantages and disadvantages of the design-build construction process and make recommendations for possible changes in law, and in how the process may be used for future department projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  This act expires April 30, 2001, unless extended by the legislature.

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