REGIONAL— Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation now say they plan to make a route selection within weeks for the controversial Hwy. 53 relocation project in Virginia. The selection, which would be made months prior to completion of the environmental review, carries risks, according to project director Patrick Huston, but it might be the only chance for the project to be completed by the May 2017 deadline.

The project is one of the most technically-complex and potentially one of the most expensive highway projects, per mile, ever built in Minnesota. The latest cost estimates range from $240 million to $460 million, depending on the alternative that MnDOT ultimately selects. MnDOT is moving the highway to provide United Taconite access to iron ore reserves that lay beneath the existing alignment in the midway area between Virginia and Eveleth. Currently, the state has allocated just $90 million towards the project and it remains unclear where the additional funds needed will come from.

By selecting an alternative early on in the environmental review process, Huston said that MnDOT can proceed with multiple steps simultaneously, including environmental review, record of decision, and construction design work. Typically, each of these steps is done in separate phases, building upon the results of prior stages.

While that approach has the potential to significantly streamline the process, Huston acknowledges it carries risks. At this point, MnDOT officials still have key unanswered questions on engineering, easements, and the value of the ore underlying the project. If subsequent information gathering reveals unexpected challenges or costs associated with the preferred alternative, it could force MnDOT officials to redo a significant amount of work. “We’re taking a risk,” acknowledges Huston, but added that the time constraints are so severe that the normal approach simply isn’t tenable. “We feel the benefits of taking the risk exceed the shortcomings,” he said.

Besides selecting a preferred route as soon as next month, Huston said MnDOT now hopes to hire its principal contractors as early as January, and will work directly with them during the design phase. This method of contracting, known as Construction Manager/General Contractor, or CMGC, is an innovative form of public contracting that can reduce the time and expense of designing and building major projects. “It’s a three-way partnership,” said Huston. “We bring the construction manager and general contractor in early and the three parties work together. They can help us make the design better and more efficient,” he said.

MnDOT obtained authority to undertake 10 projects statewide using the CMGC process, and it now appears that the Hwy. 53 project will be among the ten.

Huston said the Hwy. 53 team is currently working on a Request for Proposals which they plan to release soon, in hopes of having partners selected by January or shortly thereafter.

While most public contracting is based on a low-bid basis, the hiring of top contractors is usually negotiated under the CMGC process and is based more on qualifications than price.

By selecting the top contractors early, Huston said MnDOT could be ready to seek construction bids as early as fall of 2015. That would likely allow the project to be completed by the deadline. “This is not like announcing a definite schedule,” said Huston. “This is more of a goal. A lot of things are not totally within our control.”