The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is entering a new era of innovation and collaboration to expedite construction.

Typically, the design process for a road project can take months or even years to finalize before construction begins. However, thanks to the expertise of FDOT’s leadership and its industry partners, the Moving I-4 Forward Program is establishing a groundbreaking contracting method called the Modified Phased Design-Build (MPDB).

In a traditional design-build process, engineers and contractors collaborate to create the best project at the best price. While innovative, this process has a drawback: inflation can drive up construction costs over time. In a phased design-build process, the contractor is selected based on qualifications, and the owner and contractor work together to develop a cost-efficient plan. However, this approach can be less competitive and innovative.

FDOT’s MPDB approach takes the best practices from existing contracting methods and enhances them with a focus on collaboration. Instead of awarding the design contract to a single firm, FDOT selects three firms based on their experience to collaboratively design an innovative, cost-effective plan.

One of the greatest advantages of the MPDB process is its ability to expedite both planning and construction, allowing the program to be completed 10 to 20 years ahead of schedule. This approach enables FDOT to remain committed to its industry partners while improving program quality through qualifications-based selection.

By continuously evolving its processes, FDOT embraces new ideas and visions to accelerate its programs with safety as a priority, ensuring that Floridians can experience congestion relief sooner.