The Barton Highway was the second project to be developed under the new alliance partnership in response to the 10 point commitment and was successfully released to market on 28 October 2019.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This case study demonstrates Transport for NSW’s (TfNSW) commitment to procure and manage projects in a more collaborative way in line with Point 1 of the 10 Point Plan.
The Australian and NSW governments are providing $100 million ($50 million each) over four years to upgrade the Barton Highway.
Upgrading the highway and carrying out safety improvements will bring major benefits to road users. These improvements support regional development and provide:
This project delivers further duplication of the Barton Highway starting at Victoria Street in the ACT and stretching to at least Rolfe Road in NSW. This project is being delivered under an alliance model.
INITIATIVES
Barton Highway demonstrates how TfNSW has procured and managed projects more collaboratively in line with Point 1 of the 10 Point Plan. TfNSW is proposing the alliance model to:
APPROACH
The procurement processes for the Barton Highway have been specifically designed to encourage industry to challenge the standards and to innovate to achieve the greatest distance of duplicated corridor. TfNSW has taken the following approach:
Stakeholder Engagement
An industry briefing was held with contractors and industry members to outline the scope of work for the Barton Highway, and expectations around innovation, and maximising the taxpayer’s dollar for efficiency. The industry briefing was held in May 2018 and businesses were asked to be innovative and consider the needs of the customers; safety, reliable network, amenities, connecting communities, value for money and a government partnership in delivering the new highway.
Delivery Process
TfNSW has undertaken a highly interactive tender process by incorporating TfNSW embedded staff to resolve issues quickly and to ensure the tenderers provide conforming tenders (with the intent that the tenderers provide a tender with technical and commercial solutions that TfNSW can accept without the need for a prolonged tender clarification process prior to executing the project deed).
Current Status
TfNSW engaged industry in an ROI process, with a performance-based approach, which will be followed by a final tender process before contract(s) are awarded. Submissions have been received from five consortia.
OUTCOMES
TfNSW set out to achieve the following through the new Barton Highway Procurement Strategy:
Accelerate project delivery
This was done by concurrently progressing the EIS and planning approval, property acquisition, and procurement. TfNSW allowed for some physical work to commence on site, while the detailed planning and design are progressed. During the process where necessary to deliver projects within very tight timeframes, contractors could be engaged under the early works contract, before the project deed is executed, so that they can start the detailed design and prepare the site for construction.
Shorten the duration of tender process
TfNSW achieved this by undertaking some of the tender evaluation in parallel with the request for tender (RFT) process.
Manage the tender process collaboratively
TfNSW ensured a transfer of knowledge to the tenderers through the process to make sure that the recommended tenderer is able to commence the project immediately upon award.
Support a flexible and innovative approach to procurement
TfNSW reviewed any commercial issues within the tender period to provide certainty to the tenderers on the project deed conditions. TfNSW also maximised opportunities for innovation in the tenders in relation to the concept design and construction proposals.
For more information, visit the Transport for NSW webpage or contact the team at Transport for NSW.
Phone: (02) 8202 2200
