The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced a Letter of Intent has been issued for the Department’s first Design-Build project, which can be found on NJDOT’s procurement website. Finding innovative ways to deliver transportation projects helps advance Governor Phil Murphy’s vision of a safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation system for all New Jerseyans.

Traditionally, construction projects have separate contracts for design and construction. The Design-Build method streamlines the process by incorporating both design and construction into a single contract. It fosters opportunities for innovation and eliminates potential risks before they could delay project delivery. This process means fewer changes once construction begins and quicker project delivery since design and construction phases can overlap.

“This is a transformative shift in the way NJDOT bids and delivers select capital projects,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “Design-Build projects offer new opportunities for collaboration and innovation that can save both time and money. By working together in the early stages of the design process, can optimize designs, reduce risk, and find more cost-effective solutions.”

The Letter of Intent is the first step in the process of awarding a Design-Build contract. It provides information about the contract, which will be a full replacement of the Route 50 Bridge over Cedar Swamp Creek in Upper Township, Cape May County. The Letter of Intent also provides information on the procurement schedule and is meant to get designers and contractors to begin collaborating.

The next step in the Design-Build process is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which is anticipated to be issued in December 2024. Responses to the RFQ will be evaluated to establish a short list of design‐build firms that will be invited to submit proposals in response to a Final Request for Proposals (RFP), scheduled to be issued in June 2025. All documents related to the procurement process for this project will be posted on: https://www.nj.gov/transportation/business/procurement/

This major milestone follows NJDOT’s extremely successful Design-Build Industry workshop held on July 12 with more than 350 attendees. “One of the workshop goals was to prepare industry partners to compete on our first Design-Build procurement,” NJDOT Assistant Commissioner for Capital Program Management Parth Oza, said. “An equally important goal for the Department was to receive feedback in order to successfully deliver Design-Build projects.”