All projects financed using federal-aid funds should be let to contract unless there are valid reasons to provide other methods of construction, such as state or city forces. Projects may be constructed by state or city forces if it can be justified to the FHWA that this method of construction is cost effective and in the public interest. The district should be aware that any force account items provided by the state will be charged to the district maintenance budget. Federal reimbursement for these items is not applied back into the district’s account, but is placed in TxDOT’s general revenue accounts. City force account work, however, is paid initially from state construction funds, which are reimbursed directly by federal funds, because the city is considered to be a contractor for the state.

State Funded Construction Projects.

State funded construction projects should go through the construction letting process.