A report from New York University on Wednesday projected major savings from combining contracts to design and build public works, citing savings from the approach already in use on the new Tappan Zee Bridge, according to the Associated Press.
“NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management said 41 states use so-called design-build for most public construction, while New York four years ago first approved it for five state agencies. They include the Thruway Authority, which contracted with a consortium that designed and is now building twin replacement spans over the lower Hudson River.
“This is a way to remove these unnecessary kind of bottlenecks in the process of getting things built,” said Mitchell Moss, NYU professor of urban policy and planning. It removes delays and shortens procurement and construction time, and contractors responsible for both functions remain accountable, he said.
The report, also citing other design-build projects, noted reductions in the volume and cost of change orders by contractors. Federal agencies were generally required to contract separately for designs and building starting in the 1930s, and states followed.”