SRF provided construction administration and construction observation services on behalf of the City of Minneapolis for the SCOOT Adaptive Traffic Signal Control project.  This project is a complex traffic engineering deployment at the University of Minnesota’s East Bank Campus that features the installation and integration of the SCOOT adaptive traffic control system.  This system is one of the few large-scale adaptive systems to be deployed in the country. Construction services provided included:

• Pre-construction conference
• Federal project reporting
• Observation of wireless in-pavement sensor installation
• Observation of CCTV installation
• Observation of fiber-optic communications infrastructure
• Observation of a MnDOT traffic management communication shelter replacement
• Technical insight into technologies being deployed

On behalf of MnDOT, SRF performed contract administration and construction observation services for the installation of a traffic management system on I-35 from Forest Lake to Wyoming and the I-94 Elm Creek Rest Area in the City of Maple Grove. The construction scope included installing 10.5 miles of trunk fiber, 1.5 miles of pigtail fiber, a communications shelter, 80 loop detectors, eight CCTV cameras, and three overhead dynamic message signs.

SRF’s tasks ranged from day-to-day construction observation to general project management. Throughout the project, we inspected construction to ensure adherence to construction plans and standard specifications. Careful attention ensured that the project stayed on schedule while maintaining a safe traffic flow on I-35. Detailed records of daily construction activity, including the quantities of contract items, were kept to create accurate payments to the contractor. SRF also conducted biweekly construction meetings where project stakeholders were updated on project status and any issues were efficiently resolved as they arose.

SRF also served as contract administrators between MnDOT and the construction contractor. Records for all contractors and subcontractors were kept to ensure labor compliance and all state laws and regulations were followed. From project start to close-out, SRF followed MnDOT guidelines to ensure all standard procedures were followed. SRF maintained a positive relationship between all parties, enabling the project to be completed successfully.

SRF was chosen to be the Council’s Authorized Representative (CAR) for three UPA Transit Technology projects. One of these projects, the Transit Signal Priority (TSP) project in Minneapolis, increased transit reliability and ridership by providing priority to buses at 27 signalized intersections along Central Avenue. The project involved developing system installation documentation, installing TSP equipment on 638 Metro Transit buses and at 27 signalized intersections, implementing a TSP signal timing plan, and providing all training and documentation necessary for Metro Transit to operate and maintain a fully functional TSP system.

SRF was responsible for overseeing the contract between Metro Transit and the contractor to ensure that the project was completed successfully. This involved conducting and documenting project meetings, overseeing construction activities, and maintaining project files. Additionally, SRF assisted Metro Transit by responding to Requests for Information, reviewing and approving submittals and shop drawings, ensuring adherence to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise requirements, and processing contractor pay requests. Furthermore, SRF created independent cost estimates to determine the fair and reasonableness of cost proposals to successfully execute project amendments.

As an early indication of the success of the project, Metro Transit was able to allocate additional funds to install TSP equipment on an additional 119 buses and two intersections in Roseville near I-35W.  SRF continued to assist Metro Transit in preparing amendment documentation and overseeing the TSP system upgrades through project meetings and field inspections, which will further enable TSP operations along Central Avenue.

In an effort to upgrade signal systems throughout the City of Minnetonka, SRF provided traffic signal design, contract administration and construction observation. We worked closely with the City of Minnetonka, Hennepin County, and MnDOT to retrofit various signals throughout the City with emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) systems. SRF staff were on site during the installation of the EVP equipment to monitor progress, observe construction activities, and document quantities. We worked with contractors to resolve issues and bring the projects to completion.  SRF’s construction services included:

• Pre-construction conferences
• Construction observation
• Shop drawing review
• Pay request preparation
• Agency coordination
• Record drawings preparation

Having completed the final roadway, traffic signal and interconnect design, SRF was retained by the City of Maple Grove to perform construction administration and observation for this project that extended a new roadway connection from the I-94 interchange to CSAH 81. The project included four new traffic signals, video detection and fiber-optic interconnect. SRF performed the following construction services:

• Facilitated pre-construction conference
• Coordinated with multiple agencies, including MnDOT, Hennepin County, the City of Maple Grove and the BNSF Railway
• Added a surveillance camera tied to the City’s fiber-optic communication system, as part of an in-construction design modification
• Incorporated railroad preemption; developed and implemented railroad preemption signal timing

An excellent example SRF’s successful construction contract administration is the TIGER project. This project designed, deployed, and integrated ITS devices along I-94, US 10 and TH 55 between the Twin Cities and St. Cloud. TIGER provides a full suite of traffic management functionality, including DMS, CCTV and detection. The project followed the systems engineering process, including preparation of a Concept of Operations, requirements, detailed design, construction oversight, and system integration and testing. In addition to the standard systems engineering process, the project included the development of Operations and Maintenance plans to support longevity of the system.

SRF had ultimate responsibility of all aspects of the project, including facilitating large and small work teams to develop project documentation using the system engineering process. We worked closely with electrical contractors on the construction and integration of TIGER to implement leading-edge technologies. As with many complex technological deployments, the project provided many challenges. Several of the technologies deployed did not exist when the contract was signed; the project team overcame these issues through teamwork, perseverance and communication.

Field devices had to be integrated with the legacy software and a hybrid of communications media were deployed to make the systems function as a whole. Fiber optic communications, licensed wireless and unlicensed wireless media were all used in combination to meet the project needs. As part of TIGER, SRF developed a training plan, provided training to end users and owners, developed the test plan, procedures and results document, and also developed a project binder.