I-295 East Beltway Being Expanded to 12 Lanes

[tufsu1]

Status Update:

The 2nd place bidder (Superior Construction) has protested FDOT's Intent to Award to the 1st place bidder (Archer Western).  The protester claims that the procurement process wasnt properly followed, and that the winner had an unfair advantage.  The project is on hold until further notice.

this is pretty common in the construction bidding process...that said, FDOT design-build contracts are pretty clear on modifications that can be made to the concept design being bid on.  From an earlier post you made, it sounds like one of the teams came up with some "enhancements".  Seems that very much could open the door for other bidders to protest. 

[tufsu1]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

[southsider1015]

Status Update:

The 2nd place bidder (Superior Construction) has protested FDOT's Intent to Award to the 1st place bidder (Archer Western).  The protester claims that the procurement process wasnt properly followed, and that the winner had an unfair advantage.  The project is on hold until further notice.

this is pretty common in the construction bidding process...that said, FDOT design-build contracts are pretty clear on modifications that can be made to the concept design being bid on.  From an earlier post you made, it sounds like one of the teams came up with some "enhancements".  Seems that very much could open the door for other bidders to protest.

To my knowledge, the amount of protesting occurring on traditional, low bid/unit price roadway projects is VERY low.  They bid unit prices on the contract quantities, plain and simple.

FDOT has had a recent surge in using an Adjusted Score Design-Build procurement method on many of its large projects.  And given the complex nature that this procurement method, and the competitive spirit $100 M projects bring out (as Lake mentioned), the amount of protests occurring on these types of jobs is growing. 

All 4 shortlisted teams provided enhancements/concepts to improve the project, whether it's by safer geometry, additional turn lanes, etc that add value to the project.  The process to get these concepts approved confidentiality is difficult and very technical, and the rules can be subjective and difficult to comply with the full extent.  Any type of competitive advantage can be exploited into a protest, regardless if its substantial and changed the outcome in the scoring/pricing.  Even if the case of the protest is weak, it could be used as leverage in negotiations on other projects that are behind on schedule/over budget/etc. 

[southsider1015]

The traffic is far from "gridlocked" but this is an interesting turn of events. This will be a big money maker for firms that have made a living relying on a continuous flow of these types of public projects to keep their doors open.  To be honest, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

$3 million study!

Southsider would be in favor of this!

I've seen an extra $30,000 spent on design save $30 million in construction, and $300 million saved in right of way.  Non technical folks love to cry about how much money is "wasted" on consultants.  Does anyone complain about all the medical and legal fees?  No.   

[southsider1015]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

I'm not naive, by any means, to the political connections to the road and bridges construction industry.  But I've met and worked with a lot of politicians, contractors, lobbyists, engineers, architects, and other industry leaders.  This industry is very honest, hardworking, intelligent, and honorable.  Please don't try to include it with the slime and corrupt that makes up the majority of the big industries in this state. 

It's not nearly as big of a conspiracy as you and Stephen sometimes make it out to be.

[Know Growth]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

I'm not naive, by any means, to the political connections to the road and bridges construction industry.  But I've met and worked with a lot of politicians, contractors, lobbyists, engineers, architects, and other industry leaders.  This industry is very honest, hardworking, intelligent, and honorable.  Please don't try to include it with the slime and corrupt that makes up the majority of the big industries in this state. 

It's not nearly as big of a conspiracy as you and Stephen sometimes make it out to be.

One of the most effective drivers behind the Brannon/Chaffee/First Coast Outer Beltway was not the Road Building Industry but rather, a handful of property owners and Boosters easily identified via Official Record Book & Page. And even,later,connections to DOT Secretary.
The interface "consultants" entered the stage later,predictably.

[thelakelander]

I've seen an extra $30,000 spent on design save $30 million in construction, and $300 million saved in right of way.  Non technical folks love to cry about how much money is "wasted" on consultants.  Does anyone complain about all the medical and legal fees?  No.

Yes. For example, affordable healthcare has been a major issue during both of Obama's terms. I suspect a lot more from the average person than doesn't know a little more about the road construction industry. Most of the country still believes that gas taxes pay for roads by themselves.

[southsider1015]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

I'm not naive, by any means, to the political connections to the road and bridges construction industry.  But I've met and worked with a lot of politicians, contractors, lobbyists, engineers, architects, and other industry leaders.  This industry is very honest, hardworking, intelligent, and honorable.  Please don't try to include it with the slime and corrupt that makes up the majority of the big industries in this state. 

It's not nearly as big of a conspiracy as you and Stephen sometimes make it out to be.

One of the most effective drivers behind the Brannon/Chaffee/First Coast Outer Beltway was not the Road Building Industry but rather, a handful of property owners and Boosters easily identified via Official Record Book & Page. And even,later,connections to DOT Secretary.
The interface "consultants" entered the stage later,predictably.

A handful of property owners interested in putting Clay County on the map.  Again, its not the conspiracy that you continue to rant on here. 

Should we pretend that in order to plan a major toll corridor thru undeveloped areas that no discussions with the property owners were going to occur over the last 20 years?  Where are the political contributions going?  The Sec Trans, a non-elected/Governor nominated position?  What sort of connections are you implying?  Business connections, like the ones need to get things done? 

Come on, please take off your tin foil hats. 

[southsider1015]

I've seen an extra $30,000 spent on design save $30 million in construction, and $300 million saved in right of way.  Non technical folks love to cry about how much money is "wasted" on consultants.  Does anyone complain about all the medical and legal fees?  No.

Yes. For example, affordable healthcare has been a major issue during both of Obama's terms. I suspect a lot more from the average person than does how know a little more about the road construction industry. Most of the country still believes that gas taxes pay for roads by themselves.

Completely agree that the public is very uninformed, and many ways, agnostic, to how infrastructure funding/construction works.  It's why we continue to receive failing grades on the ASCE Report Cards.  We want free infrastructure, and don't want to pay for it.  We want free healthcare, but don't want to pay for it.  It's ridiculous.

[thelakelander]

^I'll agree here. We claim we want a lot of things but tend to not be willing to want to pay for them.

[CCMjax]

The traffic is far from "gridlocked" but this is an interesting turn of events. This will be a big money maker for firms that have made a living relying on a continuous flow of these types of public projects to keep their doors open.  To be honest, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

$3 million study!

Southsider would be in favor of this!

I've seen an extra $30,000 spent on design save $30 million in construction, and $300 million saved in right of way.  Non technical folks love to cry about how much money is "wasted" on consultants.  Does anyone complain about all the medical and legal fees?  No.

Southsider - Obviously you didn't get the joke . . . it was a reference to the JEA study on their building that they are saying will cost $3 million.  I work in design, I am a consultant and go through VE and pricing exercises all the time so I hope you're not assuming I'm an uninformed "non-tech folk" that doesn't understand the value of consultants, if that was even directed toward me.  And you mention $30,000, that is more realistic for some studies, even $300,000 studies or redesign efforts are normal for large projects and sometimes end up saving millions in total cost.  Not $3,000,000 like JEA is proposing . . . that sounds like more along the lines of a study for a state-wide interstate system, not a single aging building that has very little historical or aesthetic value in DT Jax.

[Gunnar]

^I'll agree here. We claim we want a lot of things but tend to not be willing to want to pay for them.

Oh - and while we get these things, we don't want them to inconvenience us (e.g have good rail / air / traffic infrastructure but live in a quiet place).

;-)

Then again, many companies tend to be the same way - use all the infrastructure (roads, courts, patent office) but don't pay any taxes to fund them...

[tufsu1]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

I'm not naive, by any means, to the political connections to the road and bridges construction industry.  But I've met and worked with a lot of politicians, contractors, lobbyists, engineers, architects, and other industry leaders.  This industry is very honest, hardworking, intelligent, and honorable.  Please don't try to include it with the slime and corrupt that makes up the majority of the big industries in this state. 

It's not nearly as big of a conspiracy as you and Stephen sometimes make it out to be.

not sure who exactly you're talking about....because folks like Lakelander and I work in the industry

[copperfiend]

Status Update:

The 2nd place bidder (Superior Construction) has protested FDOT's Intent to Award to the 1st place bidder (Archer Western).  The protester claims that the procurement process wasnt properly followed, and that the winner had an unfair advantage.  The project is on hold until further notice.

Meanwhile, traffic is gridlocked on I-295, JTB, and 9B. 

I am interested in seeing how bad the 9B/9A merger gets when the new 95/9B interchange opens. That four lane to two lane joke will be ugly I think.

[Tacachale]

The profit margin in the road construction business isn't even CLOSE to the profits made in financial, medical, and legal industries. 

It sure hasn't stopped them from spending millions of dollars each year on lobbying and political contributions throughout Florida

I'm not naive, by any means, to the political connections to the road and bridges construction industry.  But I've met and worked with a lot of politicians, contractors, lobbyists, engineers, architects, and other industry leaders.  This industry is very honest, hardworking, intelligent, and honorable.  Please don't try to include it with the slime and corrupt that makes up the majority of the big industries in this state. 

It's not nearly as big of a conspiracy as you and Stephen sometimes make it out to be.

Southsider, do you think there's a possible connection between your personal investment in the industry and your thoughts about what it does and how it runs?