April 2026 Digital Delivery Newsletter

Hello TxDOT staff,

As we keep the momentum and transition into digital delivery, we want to focus on how disciplines interact with each other and provide resources for all levels. So, this second newsletter of the year dives into some exciting trainings that are designed to help you with the transition and offer some general advice that can be applied to all processes.

This quarter we are focusing on three new trainings that will soon be available to TxDOT staff:

• The Intro to Digital Delivery Course will help you understand what digital delivery means at TxDOT including key concepts, resources, and how digital delivery impacts current workflows.

• The Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) Course offers information of how to develop a Quality Management Plan with the goal of creating continuity of deliverables.

• The Constructability Review (CR) Course will focus on developing plan sets that can be implemented efficiently, built safely, and predictably.

We will share updates on the ongoing US 83 pilot project, which will be part of the future I-27 project, as well as answer some questions that keep coming up from staff.

TxDOT is proud of the ongoing work to embrace digital delivery across the state. Let us continue this strong momentum and focus on delivering high quality and consistent deliverables for all projects.

Thank you,

Jacob Tambunga, P.E.

Director, Digital Delivery

Project Overview

The US 83 digital delivery pilot project is approximately 4.29-miles and spans from 1 mile north of SH 255 to Los Botines Lane in Webb County in the Laredo District. The project will widen the existing non-freeway to a 4-lane, divided freeway. The project will also expand the existing Right-of-Way (ROW) width to 400 feet.

Please note: the Laredo District’s digital delivery pilot project is separate from and not part of the 25‑district digital delivery initiative. This project was selected as a second digital delivery pilot project.

The project will be completed in two phases:

• Phase 1 consists of constructing the future frontage roads, and
• Phase 2 consists of constructing the main lanes and the new bridge over SH 255.

The project was selected as it will be part of the future I-27 (Ports-to-Plains) highway, which will cross the entire State of Texas.

Preliminary Engineering

Design survey was completed in October 2024. There has been additional coordination with utility engineering investigation to locate all existing utilities within the ROW. A public meeting will be held in late April 2026. The final schematic approval is anticipated in May, with NEPA clearance anticipated in the Fall.

Final Design

After schematic design is complete, staff will begin working on the construction plans, specifications, and estimate. The final design is expected to be completed by December 2028.

Letting

The estimated letting date is August 1, 2030.

A 1-day introductory course has been developed to help District staff better understand Digital Delivery fundamentals and TxDOT Standards. The course objectives will be to help you understand what “Digital Delivery” means at TxDOT including key concepts, resources, and how Digital Delivery impacts current workflows. This will help you apply updated standards for defensible, consistent designs that align with current requirements and expectations, all leading to downstream model use and defined team expectations.

This course will be broken up into different sections to help staff:

• Understand:
  • The purpose of transitioning to Digital Delivery,
  • The project environment prerequisites for effective Digital Delivery execution, and
  • The legal significance and project responsibilities associated with Model as the Legal Deliverable (MALD).
• Identify what successful implementation of new processes looks like and effectively locate and use Digital Delivery resources.
• Explain what Digital Delivery means at TxDOT and identify how it can be applied to achieve project objectives.
• Apply standards to designs for defensibility and consistency.
• Analyze how Digital Delivery changes workflows, deliverables, and project coordination.
• Validate models and resolve errors in a defensible way.
• Assess letting readiness and plan for downstream model use.

This course is intended for

• Project managers, designers, reviewers, and construction personnel supporting or preparing for digital delivery pilot projects
• Teams that need clarity on standards, expectations, and repeatable validation practices
• District staff aiming to build readiness to deliver at least one digital delivery pilot project

After completing the training, the course will help each district successfully deliver at least one Digital Delivery pilot project by developing and enhancing design 3D models with constructability-focused metadata. Participants will apply required standards and detailing for contractor and reviewer use to ensure compliance with TxDOT Digital Delivery standards.

As TxDOT expands digital delivery, strong Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) practices remain the foundation of a defensible Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) package—whether deliverables are traditional plan sheets, 3D models, or a mix of both as full digital delivery transition is occurring. The QC/QA Management for PS&E training aligns teams on roles, tools, and expectations so issues are caught early, so project risk is reduced.

Quality at TxDOT is not an isolated checkpoint at the end—it’s a project habit. This training will reinforce a “prevention-first approach” that anticipates downstream uses and requirements, and continuously improves based on lessons learned. Consistent QC/QA reduces rework, improves bid item accuracy, and helps prevent late-stage corrections that can lead to delays and change orders.

Develop a Quality Management Plan

Creating a Quality Management Plan at the start of any project will help clearly assign responsibilities and staffing across the project lifecycle, defines stakeholder expectations, outlines the QC process and clear objectives, all leading to creating continuity for all deliverables.

By following the plan, this will help prevent issues early, improve safety by minimizing risk, build trust with project partners, ensure compliance, and reduce change orders through earlier issue identification

PS&E Milestone Checklist

To help bridge the gap between traditional PS&E reviews and future 3D model-based project delivery, a PS&E Milestone checklist has been put together.

• Engineers are primarily responsible for preparing the PS&E package.
• Adapt to and implement new pilot software to conduct Quality Control (QC).
• The Design Division – Final PS&E Processing Section provides the necessary documents and resources to support submittals and perform QC reviews.

Remember to:

• Execute technical reviews for plans and 3D models: Combine established QC checklists with QA verification so PS&E submittals meet TxDOT standards before submission.
• Ensure data accuracy and digital integration: Maintain traceability and alignment between plans, 3D models, and TxDOT Connect data—supporting today’s processes while preparing for model-based delivery.

Get Involved and More Information

If you support PS&E development, reviews, or district pilot projects, consider attending this training and incorporating these QC/QA practices into your next submittal. Questions or need guidance? Reach out to the contacts below.

• David Ramirez, P.E., Section Director David.Ramirez@txdot.gov
• Micah Shaw, Design Project Coordinator Micah.Shaw@txdot.gov
• Kelly Rodriguez, Technical Project Manager Kelly.Rodriguez@txdot.gov

This new training will help TxDOT staff and construction contractors define what Constructability Review (CR) means and how it can be applied on projects. CR is not just QC/QA, but rather a proactive, risk-based process that ensures projects can be built safely and efficiently. Participants will learn how to establish collaborative review teams by identifying the right disciplines at the right time to prevent high‑impact issues early, apply standardized constructability tools and checklists to consistently target known problem areas such as traffic control, utilities, and construction phases, and implement a formal issue resolution process that documents, tracks, and closes constructability comments so reviews result in actionable improvements to the final plans.

Goals of the Course

• Define Constructability as a Proactive Risk-Based Review: Participants will learn to view CR as a reliable & repeatable way to ensure a project can be built safely and efficiently.
• Distinguish CR from Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA): The training clarifies that while QC/QA focuses on plan accuracy and compliance, CR focuses specifically on field constructability and overall delivery risk.
• Establish Collaborative Review Teams: Attendees will learn to identify the disciplines and groups at the right time to prevent high-impact issues early in the project lifecycle.
• Standardize Review Tools and Checklists: A primary goal is to teach a reliable & repeatable application of constructability tools to focus reviews on known problem areas such as traffic control, utilities, and construction phases.
• Implement a Formal Issue Resolution Process: The training provides a framework for documenting and closing constructability comments, ensuring that review discussions lead to actionable improvements in the final plans.

What is CR and Why is it Important?

CR is a proactive, risk‑based evaluation focused on whether a project can be built safely, efficiently, and predictably—not just whether the plans meet criteria. It serves as a pre‑construction review of design documents by construction staff or contractors, simulating the building process to identify errors, inconsistencies, and logistical issues before construction begins. By identifying high‑impact issues early and providing a clear process to document, assign, and close comments, CR helps reduce RFIs, change orders, and costly delays while improving overall plan quality.

As we have been visiting districts to provide Bentley Infrastructure Cloud review training, there have been repeated questions being asked by TxDOT staff. If you have additional questions for us, please contact digital-delivery@txdot.gov.

• Is there a notification when another user deletes a view I created?
  • No, unfortunately there is not.

• How is misalignment between the model and the map handled when the model is rotated?
  • Make sure the file is a 3D seed file and then turn levels references on/off with a single saved view until it looks the way you want.

• Can only the model manager create and delete iModels?
  • Only the Model Managers and Project Managers can create and delete iModels.

• If LiDAR data is collected using a drone over a bridge, can the resulting elevations be used for modeling
  • We will bring it up to the Remote Sensing and review options.

• In iTwin, are users able to delete objects from the base model DGN file?
  • No, you will not be able to delete anything from the base model dgn.

• Can the project name be included in the subject line of the comment notification email?
  • We will bring it up and review options.

• Is it possible to display saved views in multiple viewing windows?
  • Yes, you can drag a view or saved view into other screens.

• How can we ensure that a user can only complete the “District Design Review” form and not any other forms?
  • We limited it as much as possible, but currently there is no way to lock anyone out of a form and prevent them from filling out the wrong one.

• Can we generate a log or list showing who made each comment and the status of those comments?
  • This can be found in the “Dashboard” tab located on the iTwin project home page.

Information Technology

In January 2026, Information Technology Division upgraded Bentley products to the 2025 version.

In February 2026, the team implemented new capability in ProjectWise for External Design Consultants that are contracted to do project specific design on behalf of TxDOT. They also deployed Advance Wizard for Document Code for Roadway, Bridge, Drainage, and Traffic and Bridge (file naming conventions).

Traffic

TRF Division’s lighting team of Greg Jones, P.E., and Mateo Schmit, will support lighting design efforts for the upcoming Digital Delivery project on US 83 in the Laredo District. This roadway segment will serve an expanding industrial area as well as a future planned community. With expected high traffic volumes at a new roundabout and multiple intersecting roadways, the project will require lighting in several locations. The team will also evaluate the use of continuous lighting along the corridor. The PS&E kickoff is scheduled for April 2026, and the project is slated for letting in 2029.

Greg and Mateo bring valuable experience from two previous Digital Delivery projects-- the completed FM 1977 project in the San Antonio District and their ongoing work on FM 236 in the Yoakum District. Over the years, they have collaborated extensively with the DES Landscape Section and the Project Delivery Section on a wide range of lighting design initiatives.

Bridge

A significant portion of TxDOT’s Digital Delivery pilot program involves bridge projects, underscoring the importance of bridge design in advancing model-based delivery practices. Of all the Digital Delivery pilot projects, twelve include bridges that are being designed or developed either by Bridge Division or by district bridge offices. This level of participation reflects both the technical bridge work and the opportunity for Digital Delivery tools to improve coordination, accuracy, and efficiency in bridge deliverables.

These bridge pilot projects provide a practical testing ground for applying bridge information modeling within established Bridge Division workflows. Projects led by the Bridge Division allow for controlled implementation of standardized modeling practices, plan development procedures, and quality checks, while district led bridge designs help evaluate how Digital Delivery can be applied across a wider range of project sizes, delivery methods, and staffing models. Together, these projects offer valuable insight into how model-based workflows can support bridge design efforts within TxDOT.

The Bridge Division is developing a Preliminary Bridge Layout Review (PBLR) process to support early verification of bridge layout and coordination using a model-based workflow. The PBLR is performed at an early design milestone to confirm span configuration, geometry, profile and alignment compatibility, skew and clearance requirements, constructability, and interfaces with roadway, hydraulic, and utility features. The Bridge Division is evaluating the use of digital review platforms, including tools such as Infrastructure Cloud, to support sharing, reviewing, and coordinating preliminary bridge layout information, as well as, document review outcomes, required revisions, and disposition of comments to provide a clear basis for progressing into detailed design and plan production. The intent is to reduce late revisions, improve consistency, and support Digital Delivery implementation.

In support of consistent model development and quality control, the Bridge Division has developed Level of Development (LOD) checklists and corresponding Quality Control (QC) checklists for use on bridge projects implementing Digital Delivery. These documents have not been posted to the digital delivery website at this time. For questions, access to the documents, or additional support related to model-based bridge design, contact BRG_Bridge3DDesign@txdot.gov.

As full project transitions kick off, the TxDOT DDP Website is an excellent resource for TxDOT staff, consultants, and contractors to get better acquainted with digital delivery practices. The website offers a range of information, from foundational explanations of digital delivery to detailed guidance on executing projects.

Resources that should be used during pilot projects include:

• Digital delivery documentation, including a toolbox created to help guide design and QC
• Prerecorded training videos for Roadway, Bridge, Drainage, Construction Inspection, and Visualization topics
• Workspace setup instructions and ProjectWise support
• Information on past pilot projects and the interactive Pilot Project Map

The Digital Delivery team is prepared to provide support to Districts as they transition to new workflows. Please contact digital-delivery@txdot.gov with any questions.