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July 17, 2003: AASHTO Value Engineering Technical Committee

Honorable Mention For Most Value Added During Engineering Through Project Cost Savings, Reduction in Schedule, And Increased Value of the Project

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) was recognized for Value Engineering achievements at the 2003 AASHTO Value Engineering Conference held in Tampa, Florida.

On behalf of the Value Engineering Study Team and WSDOT, Peter E. Jobs, CVSL, Senior Principal of Olympic Associates Company, accepted Honorable Mention for Most Value Added During Engineering for the SR 509/I?5 Corridor Completion Project Value Engineering Study.

The award recognized the efforts of the SR 509/I-5 Corridor Completion Project Value Engineering Team, made up of WSDOT and Olympic Associates Company personnel, and representatives from HNTB, Rosewater Engineering, Department of Ecology, City of SeaTac, King County Department of Natural Resources, Cognosce Rem, Port of Seattle, National Marine Fisheries Service, and City of Kent.

The SR 509/I-5 Corridor Completion Project will improve regional highway connections by building a 3.2 mile extension of SR 509 to serve future transportation needs in southwest King County and enhance southern access to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The project includes an interchange at I-5 and SR 509, and 6.67 miles of improvements along I-5 from Federal Way to SeaTac. The I-5 improvements will add additional lanes to I-5 and make major interchange improvements at the SR 516 Interchange.

The I-5/SR 509 interchanges include major structures, as does the SR 509 elevated alignment crossing the northeast corner of Des Moines Creek Park. The configuration of the SR 509 freeway extension is six lanes: two general purpose travel lanes and an inside HOV lane in each direction. The South Access Road to the airport will have two lanes in each direction. The Value Engineering study scope was to review the stormwater and staging aspects of the project. The SR 509 portion of the project includes seven drainage basins, including fish habitat in Des Moines Creek. The I-5 portion of the project includes nine drainage basins.

Total Dollar Amount Saved: $30 to 40 Million
Percentage of Total Project Cost Saved Through Use of VE: Based on a projected stormwater project cost of $100 million, 30 to 40 percent of the stormwater project cost was saved through the use of Value Engineering.

Increased Value of the Project:

Participate in the coordination and funding of the regional detention facility recommended by the Basin Plan. This facility will permit King County Level I flow control for proposed corridor improvements within the Des Moines Creek watershed.
Complete construction in five stages rather than six. The I-5 portion is the critical path for the project. Therefore, I-5 construction activities determine the 52-month project duration. The preliminary plan was 63 months.
Annual Savings: Fewer stormwater facilities to maintain will result in annual savings.
Reduction of Schedule: As a result of the Value Engineering study, there is an eleven month reduction in the schedule.