Chapter 1 - Introduction

“Project development” is the general term that the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) assigns to the process which is used to take a project from origination through implementation. The goal of the project development process is to deliver a high-quality product which addresses an identified need, on-time, and within the established budget. The project development process is a complex and dynamic project management and decision-making workflow for transportation projects which will vary according to many project specific factors. These factors include:

• Program or section developing the project,
• Complexity of the project,
• Number and type of project stakeholders involved, and
• Project funding.

This manual has been developed to serve as a task-oriented guide to be referenced throughout the project development process to promote consistent, transparent, and efficient project delivery which adheres to all pertinent state and federal requirements. This manual describes DelDOT's project development process for most projects. It does not cover all possible scenarios due to the numerous variables involved. DelDOT sections that require specialized guidance should create supplementary documents as needed.

1.1 Federal and State Requirements

Department Resources

DelDOT and FHWA Stewardship and Oversight Agreement

DelDOT and FHWA Stewardship and Oversight Agreement Addendum

Transportation improvements inherently affect many stakeholders and can profoundly affect the nature of our communities and our environment. Accordingly, many laws have been enacted and regulations adopted at both the state and federal level which direct the DelDOT project development process. The primary controlling source documents affecting the DelDOT project development process are the United States Code (U.S.C.), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the Delaware Code. While there are many sources of federal funding available through multiple federal agencies and programs, the vast majority of DelDOT’s federal funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The process detailed within this manual has been crafted to ensure compliance with the applicable federal and state requirements; and cites the governing state and federal laws, regulations, or other regulatory agency’s published policy or advisory guidance affecting the DelDOT project development process as needed throughout this manual. This manual has been specifically written to conform to the FHWA’s established processes and procedures as the agency administers the vast majority of DelDOT’s federal funding. Other federal agencies may have their own unique requirements and procedures which may not be fully addressed by this manual; therefore, it is essential for the project team to understand the source of a project’s federal funding to ensure federal compliance.

FHWA’s Federal-aid Highway funds may only be used on certain roadways eligible for this type of funding. In general, the roadways eligible for Federal-aid Highway funds are the Federal-aid highway routes. Federal-aid Highway Program funds are authorized by the United States Congress for construction, reconstruction, and improvements of highways and bridges and functions as a reimbursement program as state departments of transportation (DOTs) must initially fund all work using state money. States are only eligible for reimbursement if they adhere to all the pertinent federal requirements. The principal statutes establishing the requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program are found in Title 23 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) and the regulatory requirements are found in Title 23, Highways, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 106(g), DelDOT and the FHWA maintain a Stewardship and Oversight Agreement with an active addendum which further defines the oversight roles and responsibilities and subsequent approval authority of the two agencies. A key aspect of the FHWA’s administrative role is the selection and subsequent oversight of projects classified as Projects of Division Interest (PoDIs). PoDI projects are selected by the FHWA and are typically projects which have an elevated risk, contain elements of higher risk, or present a meaningful opportunity for FHWA involvement to enhance meeting program or project objectives. Each PoDI project will have a specific Stewardship and Oversight Plan crafted outside of the general DelDOT and FHWA Stewardship and Oversight Agreement that establishes the responsibilities of both entities.

Title 2, Transportation and Title 17, Highways of the Delaware Code are the primary state level references that establish the authority, obligations, and duties of DelDOT. Title 29, Chapter 84 of the Delaware Code further defines how DelDOT will operate and its role in leading transportation decision-making on behalf of the State of Delaware. Under the State law, DelDOT may only do what it is authorized and mandated to do under law; accordingly, if project stakeholders request additional work that is not authorized by state law or eligible for federal reimbursement under federal regulations, the funding for that specific work may be denied.

1.2 Applicability to Local Public Agencies

Various local public agencies throughout the State including as cities, towns, or other municipalities have designated responsibilities to provide and maintain transportation facilities and will undertake public transportation design and construction projects accordingly. In accordance with 23 CFR 635.105, DelDOT is ultimately responsible for the construction of all Federal-aid projects within the State regardless of the administering agency. Local public agencies may utilize federal funds administered through DelDOT for their improvements provided that all activities meet the applicable state and federal requirements. Local public agencies developing projects that utilize federal funds are encouraged to use this manual as a guide during their project development process to ensure compliance with the pertinent state and federal requirements.

1.3 References to Other Resources

DelDOT maintains many resources at a variety of locations outside this manual. Additionally, there are numerous federal and state resources relevant to the DelDOT project development process which are referenced within this manual. This manual aims to summarize the content and applicability of each reference but has not been written as a substitute for reading and applying the source document.

1.4 Maintaining the Project Development Manual

Project development is a dynamic process that will change over time; accordingly, the content within this manual will be continually evaluated and updated as procedures, policies, or best practices change. To facilitate expedient updates to the manual, DelDOT maintains an Executive Committee that oversees manual maintenance and content creation for the DelDOT Project Development Manual. The Executive Committee is further supported by an Update Committee comprised of subject matter experts from across the Department who assist the Executive Committee by providing technical input and approving changes recommended by the Executive Committee. The majority of sections within this manual may be updated upon consensus being reached among the Update Committee, however, sections of the manual listed with an asterisk (*) after the section name requires formal approval by DelDOT’s Deputy Director of Operations and Support ahead of the change becoming effective. The current members of the Executive Committee and Update Committee are included in Table 1.4.

Table 1.4 – Current Committee Membership

Table 1.4 – Current Committee Membership

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Mark Luszcz, Deputy Director Operations and Support

Maureen Kelley, Deputy Director Design

John Caruano, Chief of Environmental & Administrative Support

Brad Damtoft, Support Engineer

Andrew Short, Specifications Engineer

UPDATE COMMITTEE:

Abebaw Berihun, PAR Program Manager

Mike Beulah, TITLE TO BE ADDED BEFORE PUBLICATION

Cassidy Blowers, Construction Resource Engineer

Shehnaz Chaudhri, Group Engineer

Eric Cimo, DelDOT Utility Engineer

Nick Dean, Project Engineer

Kyle Haller, Design Resource Engineer

Scott Johnson, Project Manager

Jon Karam, North District Design Support Engineer

Taylor King, Statewide Support Services Engineer, Maintenance and Operations

Thomas Little, Canal District Contracts Engineer

Scott Neidert, HSIP Manager/ Traffic Resource Engineer

Nick Rigolino, Project Engineer

Jon Tice, Design Resource Engineer

Mark Whiteside, Project Manager

Manual users are encouraged to bring potentially inaccurate or inconsistent information discovered within the manual to the attention of the Update Committee by either contacting an Update Committee member or by posting to the “Discussions” page of the Wiki. The Discussions page will be monitored, and comments will be responded to in a timely manner when warranted. The Update Committee will evaluate the feedback received and will revise the manual when deemed necessary. All revisions to the manual will be tracked through a “Revisions” page for transparency purposes. Manual users are encouraged to subscribe to the Wiki so that they can receive manual update notifications as changes are incorporated.