From Birds to Trolley Tracks on the US 6 Design-Build Project: The Use of Adaptive Management to Ensure Environmental Compliance Presented by: Jordan Rudel, CDOT Region 1, NEPA Program Manager Kevin Maddoux, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, Principal

Agenda US 6 Design-Build Project Environmental Compliance Challenges/Opportunities Adaptive Management Lessons Learned CDOT’s Perspective

US 6 Design-Build Project Approximately $106 Million project Funded by the City & County of Denver, CDOT, FHWA Located southwest of downtown Denver Construction started February 2014 Estimated Completion Sept 2015

US 6 Design-Build Project Needed to: Close Bryant Street slip ramp (safety) Address deficient bridge structures Optimize highway system operations Improve multi-modal connectivity Increase safety

US 6 Design-Build Project Replaces six deficient highway bridges, plus five new highway bridges Build new ramp structures, including a braided ramp to replace Bryant Street Construct a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge over US 6 to reconnect Barnum Park North-South, separated in the 1950s when 6 th Ave was constructed Improve mobility through the I‐25/US 6 interchange Reconstruct Barnum Park East

Environmental Compliance Four NEPA ReEvaluations; One Non-Programmatic Categorical Exclusion 72 Mitigation Commitments

Environmental Compliance 17 permits (Section 404, Stormwater, Remediation, Air Pollution, Demolition, etc.) Multiple operating plans (Environmental Compliance, Materials Management, Health and Safety, and Stormwater)

Challenges/Opportunities Schedule Unforeseen Circumstances Internal and External Communication

Adaptive Management Because all potential issues cannot be identified and planned for…

Lessons Learned NEPA Mitigation Requirements Environmental Training Internal and External Communication Design-Bid-Build versus Design-Build Requirements

CDOT’s Perspective Three partnering sessions to discussion goals, objectives, sensitivities Assessments on all required deliverables (compliant or non compliant) Escalation Ladder to resolve major issues Monthly field inspections with environmental and engineering to review plans and assess field conditions FHWA involvement CDOT owners representative to assist with compliance during construction

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