Partnering on a Design-Build Project: Making the Three-Way Love Affair Work

The partnering process used by the Arizona Department of Transportation in the execution of an $89 million design-build reconstruction of an urban freeway through a congested section of Phoenix is described. The project is changing 6 lanes into 10 lanes by adding a high-occupancy vehicle lane, along with auxiliary lanes, between the entrance and exit ramps over a 13-km (8-mi) stretch of freeway. It involves the demolition and replacement of two bridges that carry major arterial roads over the freeway by using single-point urban interchanges along with several kilometers (miles) of sound walls, new freeway lighting, and an automated freeway management system. Design-build by its nature lends itself to the partnering concept. The partnering concept ideas of increased communication, alignment of goals, and development of a dispute resolution system fit perfectly with design-build’s overarching theme of single-point responsibility for the owner. Increased pressure because of schedule compression typical of most design-build projects makes partnering a vital necessity. Several innovative partnering ideas used on the design-build project to overcome the problems inherent in a complex, high-profile, fast-paced construction project are described.