TxDOTCONNECT is TxDOT's new, web-based, custom-built technology system for automating the delivery of transportation programs, projects and right of way.

TxDOTCONNECT will standardize TxDOT business processes while providing transparency in performance measurement and serving as a one-stop shop for project information and tasks. TxDOTCONNECT will help us work more efficiently and enable us to keep pace with expectations of taxpayers and the traveling public.

The Transportation Programs Division (TPD) is overseeing the development of the TxDOTCONNECT system in collaboration with the Information Management Division. TxDOT’s Modernize Portfolio and Project Management (MPPM) team, located within TPD, is responsible for developing TxDOTCONNECT.

MPPM collaborates with TxDOT leaders, internal subject matter experts and a dedicated champion network of over 350 TxDOT employees who provide information key to TxDOTCONNECT’s development since the beginning of the initiative.

TxDOTCONNECT will be delivered in six releases over the next few years. A multi-release approach allows TxDOT to continue doing business with minimal disruption. The first release of TxDOTCONNECT was deployed early in 2019.

To access TxDOTCONNECT, external partners need a TxDOT network ID and password. If you do not have a TxDOT network ID and password, please contact your sponsoring district/division so that they can request one for you.

External users must also complete and sign Form 1828b (Security Form), available on the Contractors Forms page in TxDOT.gov, and send it to their TxDOT staff district sponsor.

The external user may then use the TxDOT network ID and password to submit a TxDOTNow ticket to request the appropriate external user access to TxDOTCONNECT.

External partners may access a training video, reference guides, job aids and interactive training modules at Access and Training.

To ensure a Release 2 deployment with high-quality functionality, TxDOT decided to separate Release 2 into two deployments. The first deployment includes Engineer’s Estimate and Bid Item Management functionality. Right of Way functionality is coming in the second deployment of Release 2 in early 2020. TxDOTCONNECT will have more roadshows and training available for Right of Way and Utilities closer to deployment.

There will be five ways to add bid items to your Engineer’s Estimate. The team has completed development for:

• Adding a Bid Item line
• Copying Bid Items from within the Estimate (for example, copying the Bid Item from one bridge to another within the Estimate)
• Copying an Estimate from another project (for example, copying the Estimate from one seal coat project to another seal coat project)

Other ways to add a Bid Item that are being developed are:

• Tabbing to create a new line (similar to Microsoft Excel functionality)
• Selecting multiple bid items from a pop-up window

The intent of TxDOTCONNECT is for the Engineer’s Estimate to be built in the system and minimize the use of the Excel spreadsheets. The request has been taken as a potential future enhancement.

Yes. The Category tab groups your Items by Category of Work. The Bid Code tab groups items by Bid Code. You can add and remove items from these tabs as well.

The Category of Work does not auto-populate. A request for potential future enhancement has been captured.

Yes. In the Estimate grid, TxDOTCONNECT will provide three-month and 12-month averages for your District and Statewide.

Yes. Users can print the E&O Sheet from within the Engineer’s Estimate page of a project, by clicking the Export button at the top right-hand corner of the Estimate Grid and clicking E&O Report.

The A+B Bidding section on the Engineer’s Estimate page is activated to add bid items by selecting A+B in the Bidding Type field on the Letting page.

A+B Bidding Type should only be let with A+B Milestones.

Yes. A notification is sent to the user who created the request upon approval. Users can also check the status of their requests within TxDOTCONNECT under Workflow, Forms, and Templates in the left navigation menu of a project or under the Administrative Tab under Forms Search.

No. Consultants will work with their district if they need to request bid codes.

Each Bid Code can have up to 30 Reference Items under the parent bid code. Users cannot add the same Reference Item to a single Bid Code more than once but can add the same Reference Item to multiple different Bid Codes.

No. Once a bid item is entered on the Engineer’s Estimate it is added to the Specifications List along with its associated Reference Items. Reference Items can be added or removed as needed.

Yes. Users can print their Specifications List from within the Engineer’s Estimate page of a project, by clicking the Export button at the top right-hand corner of the Estimate Grid and clicking Specifications List.

Yes, standard specifications based on federal project requirements and state project requirements auto-populate based on the project being assigned a federal project ID or state project ID on the Project Details page in the Project Identifiers section.

The information on this page will be available to all TxDOT staff – only Professional Engineers will be able to update this section. Consultants will be invited to the projects they are working on and will not see projects they have not been invited to work on.

Sealing an Engineer’s Estimate ensures that a Professional Engineer has reviewed and approved the Estimate.

The Seal and Summary grid shows the Estimates of all projects associated with a Controlling Project.

Yes. TxDOTCONNECT will validate the following before an Estimate can be sealed:

• The Professional Engineer sealing the Estimate must have a currently valid engineer’s License.
• A Responsible Engineer has been entered on the Resources page of TxDOTCONNECT.
• No placeholder Bid Codes (XXXX-XXXX) or placeholder NBI codes are present in the Estimate.
• Mobilization percentages for the entire Controlling project must be either null for all projects (mobilization does not exist in the controlling project or any of the associated projects), or a total of 0% or 100% to seal the Controlling project. Subordinate projects can be sealed without this being resolved.