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TOLL AGENCY BOARD APPROVES DESIGN WORK FOR FOOTHILL-SOUTH
Approval of contract amendment allows preliminary design to move forward for extension of the 241 Toll Road
MAP
IRVINE,
Calif. (March 9, 2006) -- The Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) Board of Directors today unanimously approved a contract amendment allowing for the completion of Phase 1 preliminary design work for the 16-mile Foothill-South project, which will connect the Foothill (241) Toll Road to the I-5 Freeway.
The approval authorizes the expenditure of $29.8 million as an amendment to an existing design-build contract with Saddleback Constructors, a joint venture partnership of major engineering firms. The funding will allow Saddleback to complete preliminary design engineering for the locally preferred Foothill-South alignment, also known as the “green alignment,” which was approved by the Board on Feb. 23.
The 18-month preliminary design phase will primarily consist of geotechnical surveys, roadway and bridge designs, drainage plans, and interchange and toll plaza configuration. The preliminary design phase is necessary to determine the final cost
for construction. Funding for Phase 1 is available in the current fiscal year budget and future expenditures will come from the Agency’s unrestricted cash reserves.
After completion of Phase 1, TCA will receive a guaranteed fixed-price for Phase 2 Final Design and Construction, at which time the Board may choose to negotiate with Saddleback Constructors, re-bid the final design-build contract, or divide the project into segments and separate contracts. The preliminary design costs are included in the project’s total estimated cost of $875 million.
The preliminary design work will be conducted concurrently as the Agency pursues state and federal permits from various environmental regulatory agencies, so that once the final permits are secured, final design and construction can begin. Concurrently pursuing permits and preliminary design will help keep the project on track and avoid delay costs.
ABOUT DESIGN-BUILD
Design-build contracting is a cost-effective way to deliver infrastructure projects on time and within budget. By contracting with a single firm for both the design and construction work, at a not-to-exceed price, the agency can control costs by shifting the risk of change-orders and cost increases to the private sector. Traditional design-bid-build projects generally take much longer and are more costly. The Transportation Corridor Agencies have successfully used design-build for nearly all of Orange County’s 51-mile toll road system. In fact, the 15-mile San Joaquin Hills (SR-73) Toll
Road in west Orange County, which opened to traffic in 1996, was the first design-build highway project in California.
ABOUT SADDLEBACK CONSTRUCTORS
Saddleback Constructors is a joint venture partnership among three equity partners, FCI Constructors of Vista, Fluor Corporation of Aliso Viejo, and Sukut Construction of Santa Ana. Subcontractors to Saddleback for design include CH2M Hill as the Prime Designer, supported by design sub consultants RBF Engineering, Tetra Tech, Parsons Transportation Group, ACT Engineers, LDP Design Group, Utility Specialists Inc., Mestre Greve Associates, Kleinfelder Geotechnical Engineers and Leighton & Associates. The majority of these design firms have previously contracted with the Agency on previous TCA projects.
About Foothill-South & TCA
Foothill-South is the final segment of Orange County’s planned 67-mile toll road system. The
project has been the subject of regional planning efforts since 1981. Since 1996, TCA has worked with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Caltrans, and Marine Corps Base-Camp Pendleton to determine the project’s purpose and need and to identify and evaluate project alternatives to relieve traffic in South Orange County. More information about Foothill-South can be found online at www.foothill-south.com.
The Toll Roads are operated by the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), two joint powers authorities formed in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's 67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the San Joaquin Hills ( 73) Toll Road from Newport Beach to San Juan Capistrano; and the Foothill (241) and Eastern (241, 261, and 133) Toll Roads from the 91 Freeway to south Orange County. Nearly 300,000 trips are taken on The Toll Roads every weekday, saving drivers an average of 21 minutes per trip.
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