(a) Design documents preparation.

1. (1)

   1. (A) The design-builder will initiate the final design effort by completing the necessary investigations and studies required by the proposed design and the DBA.
   2. (B) The scope of work items listed in 27 CAR § 92-509(a) is a guideline to what those submittals might include for the project.
   3. (C) The critical path elements of the project will most likely be centered on the project right-of-way and permit processes.
   4. (D) The Arkansas Department of Transportation will typically acquire the necessary right-of-way for the project based on the preliminary design.
   5. (E) Any additional requirement for right-of-way based on the final design should be addressed immediately by the design-builder to ensure minimal impacts to the proposed design or project schedule.

2. (2)

   1. (A) Acquiring certain permits is another task that is typically the responsibility of the department, however, preparation of complete permit application packages, based on the impacts of the actual or final design, should be the responsibility of the design-builder.
   2. (B) Any required adjustments in the permit applications or the mitigation requirements will remain with the design-builder throughout the project.
   3. (C) In certain cases, the design-builder could be assigned the responsibility for obtaining certain permits as an agent of the department.
   4. (D) Provisions for the anticipated time for permit acquisition should be written into the RFP scope of work.
   5. (E) Allowances for acquisition time beyond the allotted period, due to circumstances beyond the control of the department or the design-builder, should also be added to the RFP provisions.

3. (3)

   1. (A) The design-builder should determine the need for utility relocations to confirm or extend the conceptual limits of relocation based on the department preliminary design.
   2. (B) Relocations that are dependent on the final design and construction activities should remain under the control of the design-builder along with the risks that pertain to those relocations.
   3. (C) The department investigations during the project development should identify significant utility conflicts and address the utilities’ special concerns.
   4. (D) The design-builder should be responsible for coordination of all necessary utility relocations.
   5. (E) The department role for any utility relocation should be defined in the RFP and should include the provisions under which additional payment may be provided to the design-builder for the utility relocation work.

(b) Construction documents’ preparation.

1. (1) The design-builder should begin preparation of the final design plans and other documents when the necessary field data and other reference data is collected.
2. (2) The department will have the opportunity to monitor and review the documents prepared by the design-builder through the project review team (PRT), but the PRT should be aware of their role and avoid requesting preferential modifications which are not defined in the RFP and the DBA.
3. (3) PRT comments provided to the design-builder should be consistent with the department oversight role on the project to monitor and verify compliance with the DBA.
4. (4) Construction documents may be prepared in a manner that will allow phased design and/or phased construction of the project, with the final plans broken into appropriate subject-based submissions and, in some cases, partially complete submissions, based on the scheduling priorities.
5. (5) The PRT review process should be provided with personnel and procedures to accommodate this type of process.