Accountability - Timely Scheduling of Contracts - WisDOT MAPSS Performance Improvement Program

WisDOT MAPSS - Accountability - Timely Scheduling of Contracts - The continuous effort to use public dollars in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

Every year the department contracts with the road building industry to improve our transportation system through a competitive bid process. The bid let schedule is critical to the contractor's ability to plan for resources and our ability to make the most effective use of public funds. Based on industry input, our goal is 54% of annual project funds let by January 1st.

• State Program - Road construction contracts located on state highways and bridges.
• Local Program - Road construction contracts located on local roads and bridges.
• Maintenance Program - Funded improvements to the state trunk highway operational elements of pavement marking, signing, traffic signals, overhead lighting, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (e.g. changeable message signs, ramp gates, monitoring camera).
• Major Program - State facility road construction projects enumerated by the Wisconsin State Legislature.
• Southeast Mega Program - Marquette Interchange, I-94 North-South and Zoo Interchange projects exceeding $500 million.

The process for timely scheduling of contracts is important because it distributes improvement projects into monthly bid lettings over the course of the state fiscal year. The department’s ultimate objectives are to maximize competitive bids, to provide the department flexibility in adjusting lettings in the last half of the fiscal year for let contract savings or overages, and to allow the department to spend additional federal funds if they are received late in the year.

1) The department will advance projects into the second half of the state fiscal year when let savings occur in the earlier lets. 2) When additional federal funds become available, the department can let more projects in the second half of the fiscal year. 3) Rejected and/or deferred bids in the first half of the year will mostly be rescheduled for let during the second half of the year.

There is a multifaceted approach to continued improvement in this area that includes working closely with letting schedules, with an emphasis of traditionally underutilized summer and fall months. October, for example, was traditionally only used to let Mega, Major and Southeast Region projects but now is a let for all project types. There has also been a focus on assisting the Proposal Management section in managing increases to the improvement program under BIL, and the Project Letting Process committee now includes a programming supervisor from each region to provide additional perspective.