Managing Constructibility Reviews to Reduce Highway Project Durations

Abstract

Highway project durations that are longer than necessary delay the delivery of benefits to road users. Budget constraints often preclude the use of additional funds to shorten total project duration. Therefore, state highway agencies seek ways to decrease construction project durations without increasing costs. Research has recommended formal constructibility reviews as an effective approach to meeting this goal. Formalized constructibility reviews have been effective in isolated cases but only about one-quarter of state highway agencies currently have a formal constructibility review program. An inadequate understanding of implementation issues, including the effective use of resources, is a potential cause. The effects of constructibility reviews on the design phase, construction phase, and project durations are modeled and analyzed. Results illustrate and explain how intermediate-sized constructibility reviews reduce project durations more than very large or small reviews and the potential impacts of a design-build approach on constructibility review effectiveness.