Back in November 2016, OCTA awarded a $1.2 billion design-build contract for the project to low bidder OC 405 Partners, a joint venture led by OHL USA and Astaldi Construction. The contract was the first to be issued under a state law that allows California transportation agencies to use design-build delivery on road projects.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, using a design-build approach on highway projects can speed up the schedule, reduce costs and improve quality. Designers work with the construction team before the project begins to iron out any conflicts, which reduces the number of costly changes down the road. Design-build also allows the construction phase to begin while the design of additional phases is still underway.
