SGR Bridge Program

• Bridge Prioritization Formula
• Smart Flags
• S&B-IIM-95.1 "State of Good Repair Bridge Project Selection and Eligible Work Items"

Pre-scoping documents shall be submitted for pre-applications and full-applications as outlined below. Details of requirements for pre-scoping documents can be found in the “SGR Bridge Pre-Scoping Document Requirements” accordion tab. All applications will be reviewed in accordance with requirements outlined in IIM-LD-260 / IIM-IID-11, titled “Project Application Review.”

• For localities
• Pre-applications are required for all eligible structures in their locality to be eligible for full-applications *
• Full-applications are required for all eligible structures in their locality
  * All applications are to be submitted to your VDOT District Locality Liaison

• For VDOT
• Pre-applications are handled internally at the district
• Full-applications are required for all eligible structures in the district **
  ** coordinated with Central Office using internal VDOT bridge SharePoint site and pre-scoping documents submitted via internal SGR bridge Projectwise folders

Pre-application submittal requirements (for locality-owned bridge applications only) for SGR bridge funds are per below.

• REQUIRED Submittal Documentation
• Draft progress pre scoping report
• A given locality must submit a pre-application for ALL bridges in a given locality to be eligible to submit full application
•  RECOMMENDED Submittal Documentation
• Proposed Smart Flags, if applicable
• Conceptual Drawings or Sketches
• Project Cost Estimate
• SGR repair estimate for recommended alternative
• SGR structure replacement estimate

Full-application submittal requirements (for VDOT and locality-owned bridge applications only) for SGR bridge funds are per below.

•  REQUIRED Submittal Documentation
• Pre Scoping Report
• Proposed Smart Flags, if applicable
• Conceptual Drawings or Sketches
• Project Cost Estimate (including cost estimate workbook and backup information)
• SGR repair estimate for recommended alternative
• SGR structure replacement estimate

Pre-scoping document requirements shall be in accordance with four items outlined below and shall be included as appropriate with Applications for SGR Bridge Projects. These submittal documents shall comprehensively address all requirements outlined in IIM-LD-260 / IIM-IID-11, titled “Project Application Review.”

Submittal Requirements

A summary of items below shall be included with Applications for SGR Bridge Projects. These submittal documents shall comprehensively address all requirements outlined in IIM-LD-260 / IIM-IID-11, titled “Project Application Review.

1. The Pre-Scoping Report shall include narrative that comprehensively addresses below and support information as needed.

1. Project Description
2. Scope Justifications
3. Significant Scope Elements *
4. Scope Elements Not Eligible for SGR **
5. Alternative Analysis ***
6. Risk Assessment
7. Proposed Smart Flags

• Bridge Configuration
• Features Carried (including approach roadway tie-in points, alignment, profile, and cross section)
• Features Intersected (road, water, railroads, clearances)
• Geotechnical (roadway, bridge)
• Maintenance of Traffic (detour, offset alignment, part-width-construction)
• Traffic
• Right-of-Way and Utility Impacts
• Hydrologic and Hydraulic Requirements
• Environmental Impacts and Permits
• Stakeholders
• Bicycle-Pedestrian Features
• Constructability Issues
• Application of the following requirements
• Manual of the S&B Division, Part 1, Design Exceptions / Waivers / Approvals
•  Manual of the S&B Division, Part 2, Ch. 6, File No. 06.01-5 (Case 2)
• IIM-LD-235, titled “Common Sense Engineering (CSE) and Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)”
• IIM-LD-255 (Practical Design Flexibility in the project development process)
• Complex Project Elements (may be covered in part by Risk Assessment)

1. Proposed Plan View of Structure and Approaches (include limits of structure, approach road tie in points, and maintenance of traffic)
2. Existing and Proposed Cross Sections of Deck
3. Existing Cross Section of Immediate Approach Roadway (show dimensions of lanes and shoulders, and guardrail)
4. Proposed Section of Immediate Approach Roadway (show dimensions of lanes and shoulders, and guardrail)

1.     Two project cost estimates are required per below:
• SGR repair estimate (for proposed SGR repair scope)
• SGR structure replacement estimate (in kind bridge or culvert replacement)

2. Project cost estimates are to comply with the following requirements: 
• VDOT Cost Estimating Manual
• VDOT Project Management Procedure PMO-3.6, titled “Project Development Budget and Estimates". 
•  SGR Bridge Applications shall use the Cost Estimate Workbook which includes inflation.
3. Project Cost Estimates submitted in SMART Portal
•   The Project Costs Estimate provide in the SGR Bridge Cost Estimate Workbook and that entered in SMART Portal shall be identical.
4. Estimate documentation shall be submitted and will include the following:
• Cost Estimate Workbook
•  Detailed estimate documentation (PCES documentation or equivalent)
5. Estimates shall be provided for each phase (PE, RW & CN Phases) and shall include below:
• Base Costs (without Inflation and Contingency)
1. Defined Costs
2. Allowances
• Contingency Cost (applied to Base costs)
 
• Inflation Cost (applied to Base costs and contingency costs)
 

4. Documentation to Support use of Smart Flag(s)

See Virginia Structure Priority Formula for documentation requirements.

References Information

a)    Pre-Scoping Documents Examples: The examples below depict varying degrees of breadth and detail and do not necessarily comply with the latest guidance. However, they are provided to give an idea as the information being

• Example 1 - Pre-Scoping Documents
• Example 2 - Pre-Scoping Documents
• Example 3 - Pre-Scoping Documents
• Example 4 - Pre-Scoping Documents

b)    SGR Locality-Owned Bridge Program (Application Submittal Requirements) Webinar (August 12, 2021)

Presentation

Recording of the webinar

• FY2024 to FY2029 (July 1, 2022 data) 

Current eligible structures can be found on the main SGR page.

• FY2018-FY2023 Projects       
• FY2019-FY2023 Projects       
• FY2020-FY2025 Projects       
• FY2021-FY2026 Projects                                                    
• FY2022-FY2027 Projects
• FY2023-FY2028 Projects
• FY2024-FY2029 Projects

§ 33.2-369. State of good repair of the Code of Virginia requires that such funds be used for “state of good repair” purposes for the reconstruction and replacement of bridges in poor condition, and does not allow for safety and operational improvements. So, we need to assess the scope of work on projects for compliance with this requirements and a reassessment is triggered when the funding increases on a project. Funding increases too can affect the scores of a project, which too could need to be reassessed in some instances. Furthermore, the CTB policy for the “Approval of State of Good Repair Prioritization Process Methodology and FY 2022 State of Good Repair Percentage Fund Distribution” under the section “Funds – Allocations, Apportionments, and Expenditures” section requires the following:

• “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, neither the scope nor the budget of a project may be substantially modified in such a manner that the proposed improvements do not accomplish the same benefits as the original scope. Efforts must be made to review a project scope for opportunities to modify or reduce scope to bring the cost back in line with the original budget while maintaining similar life-cycle cost benefits.”

The SGR project selection process requires completion of pre-scoping efforts prior to submittal of the application (or work notification form). The pre-scoping effort establishes a scope for the project that the district or locality will use to establish the project cost estimate, which will then be used by VDOT to calculate the SGR priority score and determine which bridge projects are selected for SGR funding. The project cost estimate developed at pre-scoping will also be used to determine a fund request, which will be approved by the CTB for selected bridge projects as part of their adoption of the SYIP. The approved fund level then becomes the budget for the project. 

There are times when an increase in the budget on an existing SGR project is required; for example, due to an unanticipated increase in the project cost estimate caused by an unforeseen circumstance. In such instances, the district shall submit a Bridge Budget  Increase Request (BBIR)  for the existing project to the Central Office (CO) SGR bridge program manager in order for addition of funds to be considered.  Before submitting the BBIR form, the district shall make all appropriate efforts to review a project scope for opportunities to modify or reduce scope to bring the cost back in line with the original budget without sacrificing life cycle benefits and while meeting the requirements for SGR projects established in IIM-S&B-95. The district bridge engineer must submit the BBIR form, along with supporting information and an updated Cost Estimate Workbook as outlined in the BBIR form, to the CO SGR bridge program manager for review, recommendation, and routing for approval or disapproval.

Project managers should maintain accurate up to date project cost estimates at all times, including at project milestones, in accordance with VDOT Project Management Procedure PMO-3.6, titled “Project Development Budget and Estimates" and notify the CO SGR bridge program manager as soon as any significant cost increase has been identified. However, for projects administered by VDOT, when a bridge budget increase is requested, formal requests by the district should be submitted at the following milestones and similar milestones for projects not administered by VDOT: 

• Public Hearing Milestone (after design approval is received),
• Fund Verification for the right-of-way phase,
• Fund Verification for construction phase (initiating advertisement process), and
• Districts may also submit the BBIR forms in early January as part of the program SYIP update. 

The CO SGR bridge program manager will serve as the primary point of contact and coordinate all reviews for all fund requests occurring during or before fund verification for construction phase (initiating advertisement process).  The CO SGR bridge program manager will coordinate approvals with the assistant state structure and bridge engineer for bridge maintenance, the state structure and bridge engineer, or the chief engineer as appropriate. Budget increases above the thresholds in the table below will require approval of the Chief Engineer and the BBIR submittal must be accompanied by a brief presentation describing the reasons that additional funding is required. Certain transfers must also be approved by the CTB.

The presentation for the Chief Engineer should concisely and effectively outline the items below and the presentation should be limited to a maximum length of five slides for a typical bridge project:

• Brief project description
• Original scope and estimate that matches approved budget
• Proposed scope and estimate for budget request, and outlines specific reasons for the increase in the estimate
• Provides details of efforts made to modify or reduce scope to minimize budget increase request without sacrificing life cycle benefits

SGR fund requests for projects awaiting potential award must be coordinated between the district, the Construction Division (CD) and the Infrastructure Investment Division (IID) and will only be considered if award of the bid would provide good value to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The CO SGR bridge program manager will support the assessment as needed and may be required to coordinate approval for some SGR aspects (scope changes/increases, scope eligibility for SGR) of the fund request if requested to do so by IID or CD.