We frequently get the question: How long does it take for a project to move from idea to completion? While there is no simple answer to that question, we will try to answer it as best we can. Project development is a complex topic, involving many players and timelines. We’ll use a hypothetical project to illustrate.

Let’s start with the project. SR 531 is a two-lane road in Hamilton County. This road serves an area that has experienced 55% population growth in the last ten years. Most of this new growth is housed in new subdivisions of single-family homes with many of them having access to SR 531. At the intersection of SR 531 and Harper Road, a commercial development has been built in the past year. This development includes a grocery store, a movie rental store and a small restaurant.

The County Commission has noticed that traffic congestion has started to become a problem. Due to the rapid growth, no one had ever really imagined that this road would need improvement this soon. So what does it take to get the process started?

Systems Planning

Hamilton County is within a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Officials and staff with the County would request that this project be included on the MPO’s Thoroughfare Plan. This document includes all expected projects at build-out with no regards to funding or timing. Every member jurisdiction, the Transportation Advisory Committee of the MPO, and the North Carolina Board of Transportation must approve the Thoroughfare Plan.

Projects on the Thoroughfare Plan are included in the local Travel Demand Model. Travel demand modeling is the practice of using travel data, such as the number of cars on the road and the speed they travel, to determine how a transportation network will function in the future. Many times, future needs are determined by examining the results of the travel model.

The Thoroughfare Plan presently only addresses roadways. New state legislation requires that a new plan be developed that addresses all modes of transportation. These modes will not only include roadways, but also transit, pedestrian, and bicycles. The new Plan will still not be required to be financially constrained.

The next step in the process is to put the project on the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The primary purpose of the LRTP is to prioritize the projects listed in the Thoroughfare Plan. While the Thoroughfare Plan has no specific timeframe attached to it, the LRTP examines only the next twenty-five years. In addition, while the Thoroughfare Plan presently only looks at roads, the LRTP must examine all modes of transportation in the area.

Two other major differences between the Thoroughfare Plan and the LRTP are that in the LRTP 1) the projects are separated into horizon years in which projects can be reasonably expected to be completed, and 2) future funding must be estimated and specifically identified for each project in the LRTP. This usually means that not all of the projects in the Thoroughfare Plan are included in the highway element of the LRTP. Every three years, the MPO must re-examine its Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).

Because of air quality requirements, the projects in the LRTP must undergo an air quality analysis to determine whether their construction will have an adverse impact on the air quality in the MPO area. This has had a major impact on transportation planning across the country. If the air quality impacts of the LRTP exceed the predefined limit, the MPO must remove projects or promote projects that have less of an impact on air quality. If the MPO fails to meet this requirement, it will lose all federal transportation funding.

Getting to this point seemed pretty easy, but the MPO must show that they anticipate necessary funding to get the projects in the LRTP completed. So even though the project is needed, until there is available funding for it, it will not be included in the LRTP.

The last steps are part of what is called systems planning. It’s the “big picture” view of transportation planning. The MPO works with the NCDOT Statewide Planning Branch during this stage. Once the project is included in the LRTP, it can then be included in the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP).

Programming

The MTIP is a seven-year program adopted every other year that schedules federal funding for transportation projects in the MPO area. The funds are used for roadways, public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and other projects.

The MTIP details the Project ID Number, Location and Description, Length, Total Estimated Cost, Funding Source, and Schedule. A project’s inclusion in the MTIP is a prerequisite for eligibility for certain federal transportation funding sources.

The projects are selected for the MTIP based on a needs list developed by the Technical Coordinating Committee and approved by the Transportation Advisory Committee of the MPO. After submitting the needs list to the NCDOT Programming and TIP Branch, projects are added to the MTIP as funds allow. The MTIP is then compiled as a draft and given to the MPO for public input. After the Transportation Advisory Committee approves the final MTIP, it is then resubmitted to the state. All the MTIPs from around the state are then incorporated into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Once this project is included in the STIP, it is moved to Project Planning.

Project Planning

This stage is primarily the responsibility of the NCDOT Project Development & Environmental Analysis Branch. There are several steps as part of this stage. They are as follows: Scoping, Alternative Analysis, Environmental Analysis, Selection of Preferred Alternative, and Completion of Final Environmental Document.

The purpose of the scoping process is to determine the scope of the work that should be performed. The scope of the project is developed based on the project's purpose and need. During the scoping process, as much existing information as possible is gathered and collected. This includes: feasibility studies, traffic projections, Thoroughfare Plan, Bridge Inspection Report, bridge inventories, USGS quadrangle maps, GIS mapping and aerial photography.

Several alternative improvements or alignments are studied for each project. The alternative that best meets the purpose and need for the project, while minimizing overall impacts, is generally the alternative selected for construction. Alternatives studied can range from different routes for a roadway proposed on new location to different median treatments for a widening project. For example, a five-lane cross-section may be appropriate in a commercial district or residential area where access to adjacent land is important. However, in an area where moving traffic is the main objective, a multilane, median-divided facility might be a better option.

Alternatives, which may be adequate from an engineering perspective, may not be acceptable from an environmental standpoint. The specialists in the Environmental Unit study each alternative developed, and often suggest changes or other alternatives to avoid sensitive environmental areas or issues. A variety of environmental concerns, such as effects on water quality or wildlife habitat, are studied for each highway or bridge project.

The preferred alternative for a project is chosen only after environmental/engineering studies have been completed and the public has been given an opportunity to comment. That alternative will be the one that provides good transportation design and cost effectiveness while minimizing impacts to both the natural and built environment.

The final step will be the completion of all required federal and state environmental documentation.

Design

After the project planning stage, design of the actual project can begin. This is the task of the NCDOT Highway Design Branch. The primary branch responsibilities are identifying and obtaining engineering field data, designing and developing right-of-way acquisition plans, and preparing final highway and bridge construction plans. NCDOT will hold a final design hearing during this time to solicit input from local residents.

Right-of-Way (ROW) Acquisition

Once plans are complete, right of way acquisition can start. The Right-of-Way (ROW) Branch of the NCDOT is responsible for the acquisition of all necessary lands and rights of way used for construction. They receive the acquisition plans from the Design Branch and start acquiring what is necessary for the project

Construction

The last but possibly most important step is the actual construction. This stage is when the public actually sees progress being done.

Obviously, each project is different. The steps described may vary depending on the complexity of the project. Our objective was to illustrate the many steps a project must go through until it actually breaks ground. When the public sees the bulldozers, this is just the last step in a long project development process.