Establish the five distinct pre-construction phases of project development:

Planning;
Programming;
Preliminary Engineering;
Final Design; and
Letting.

Provide a more resource-based and reference-oriented manual structure to:

List the specific authority documents that govern the project development process;
Guide the persons involved in project development to detailed guidance and information currently available in other manuals, Standard Operating Procedures, and guidance documents;
Offer a list of suggested partners to coordinate with during project development;
List specific forms and tools (checklists, spreadsheets, databases, systems, portals, etc.) available for use; and
Suggest current training courses that provide further knowledge for development of projects.

Chapter 1 General Guidance

includes general guidance including introduction to TxDOT’s pre-construction project development process, the role TxDOT plays in the stewardship and oversight of projects, introduction to the use of the Design Summary Report (DSR), understanding of project rigor and it’s application to project development, the manual’s organization, a more detailed project development process workflow diagram and other details.

Chapter 2 Planning

includes discussion of TxDOT’s planning process including long-range planning and District, Division, and other types of high-level/program plans that are developed that ultimately lead to project identification, funding, and authorization.

Chapter 3 Programming

includes discussion of how a project, once identified, is initiated and scoped early in the project development process. The emphasis on project scoping leads to a higher level of confidence in project planning estimates and schedules. Chapter 3 also includes discussion of evaluation of several aspects of project-specfic planning including compliance with existing planning documents, related studies and compliance with environmental requirements. The chapter also discusses items for early identification such as major project feasibility and required railroad coordination. The chapter concludes with information how a project is funded and set up in TxDOTCONNECT.

Chapter 4 Preliminary Engineering

discusses the tasks associated with establishing a project’s design criteria and geometric design, performing alternatives analysis, and developing a geometric schematic, if required, to achieve a level of 30% PS&E design/project development completeness as defined in the

PS&E Preparation Manual

. The requirements of performing a value engineering analysis are presented as well as the importance of establishing the right of way footprint early in project development. The chapter concludes with a discussion of identifying and preparing additional funding agreements with outside entities if applicable to the project.

Chapter 5 Environmental and Public Involvement

has been re-envisioned to include information from the perspective of a TxDOT designer and/or project manager and provides a general understanding of the environmental and public involvement processes and needed coordination with environmental specialists to successfully fulfill environmental requirements and obtain environmental clearance. A discussion has been provided on the different types of environmental reviews and documentation, specific technical studies that need to be performed, and the approach to TxDOT’s public involvement policy. The chapter concludes with a list of potential interagency coordination and permit requirements to provide an understanding of how these needs may affect the project schedule.

Chapter 6 Right of Way and Utilities

has, like Chapter 5, been reorganized to provide a general overview of the right of way and utility processes, including data collection needed and agreements related for both these areas. Discussions on the overall right of way acquisition and utility accommodation processes are provided to assist in the determination of tasks that require coordination through the project development process resulting in clear right of way and utility certification. The chapter concludes with specific percentages by which entities participate in right of way and utility costs along with an overview of which utility costs are reimbursable.

Chapter 7 Final Design

includes discussion on the specific details of final design that take a project from preliminary engineering (30% design/project development completeness) to 100% Final PS&E that is “ready to let”.

Chapter 8

Letting discusses the details of pre-letting, letting and post-letting and provides information in conjunction with the

PS&E Preparation Manual

.

Appendix A

is a list of authority documentation that applies to the project development process.

Appendix B

is a list of resources outside of the PDP Manual that can be accessed through links.

Appendix C

is a list of tools referenced in the PDP Manual that can be accessed through links.

Appendix D

is a list of all acronyms used in the PDP Manual.