Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: NEPA Strategies for Accelerating Project Delivery: Every Day Counts, Tiering, and Alternative Delivery in the I-70 Mountain Corridor

Abstract

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) have used Every Day Counts tools and other strategies to accelerate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for projects intended to relieve congestion and improve safety in the Twin Tunnels area of Colorado's Interstate 70 (I-70) Mountain Corridor. These Tier 2 projects follow the I-70 Mountain Corridor Tier 1 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The Tier 2 Twin Tunnels projects incorporated tools from the FHWA Every Day Counts Shortening Project Delivery Toolkit, including the Planning and Environmental Linkages concept, legal sufficiency enhancements, and programmatic agreements; the Construction Manager/ General Contractor (CM/GC) alternative delivery method; and a unique stakeholder engagement approach. These tools were effective in reducing the Tier 2 NEPA process to half its normal duration, thereby accelerating overall project delivery. The Tier 2 process was easier to implement because of the scaffolding developed during the Tier 1 process. Establishing an early involvement agreement related to legal reviews allowed FHWA attorneys to work with the project team at early decision points. Using the CM/GC alternative delivery method allowed for early input from the contractor on the preliminary design, avoided the need for NEPA re-evaluations during the final design or construction process, and led to new ideas for avoiding or minimizing impacts to environmental resources. Early and continuous engagement with partner agencies and other stakeholders allowed for quick feedback and provided the necessary support to move the project forward quickly.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the lead agencies for the I-70 Mountain Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and the Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies on the I-70 Mountain Corridor: the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Colorado Division, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). We acknowledge the leadership of Randy Jensen, Melinda Urban, Stephanie Gibson, and Monica Pavlik at FHWA; Benjamin Acimovic, David Singer, Vanessa Henderson, Jane Hann, and Scott McDaniel at CDOT; and Wendy Wallach and Jim Bemelen, formerly with CDOT. We acknowledge the numerous stakeholders involved in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 processes, particularly the Clear Creek County commissioners and staff and the Idaho Springs mayor and staff, as well as the numerous contributing state and local agencies that made the implementation of these projects possible. Lastly, we acknowledge the consultant team composed of numerous engineering firms in Colorado and the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) Kraemer-Obayashi for their role in successfully implementing the strategies discussed in this paper.