Transportation Roundtable: Joan McDonald

Q: What are the most important initiatives you would like to see get done in 2015?

JM: The state’s top priority is always safety and our most important initiatives reflect that. The largest project in NYSDOT history—the $555 million replacement of the Kosciuszko Bridge—got underway last fall and is entering its first full construction season. The new bridge will relieve a well-known bottleneck along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, ease congestion, improve air quality and reduce accidents. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Other substantial investments include Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to spend $1.2 billion on the NY Works program, which re-paved more than 2,100 miles of roads and rehabilitated or replaced 121 bridges. Also under construction is the $148 million rehabilitation of the Patroon Island Bridge in Albany. Also in this budget, Governor Cuomo proposed committing $750 million over five years to accelerate the rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement of more than 100 bridges statewide that serve critical freight, agriculture and commerce corridors.

Q: Why should design-build legislation be renewed?

JM: When used on appropriate projects, design-build allows the project design and construction phases to be consolidated into one contract—so we can get a project awarded and constructed in less time. Accelerating project delivery through design build creates jobs sooner, saves time, and provides cost certainty. In addition, it can help expand the potential use of innovative construction tech-nologies. Since being signed into law in 2011, NYSDOT has awarded 10 design-build contracts worth more than $811 million, in-cluding the Kosciuszko Bride project. Twelve other design build projects worth an additional $289 million are in procurement.