State Highway 130 is an 87-mile controlled access tollway just east of Austin. The first 49 miles — segments 1 through 4 — were constructed under an exclusive development agreement, an expanded concept of a design-build contract. This phase included four main-lane toll plazas, three major river and three railroad crossings, seven major and 31 minor interchanges, and 123 bridges.

We served as the owner's representative, providing procurement support, program management, design oversight and construction management. To facilitate communication and collaboration, we co-located with the contractor. Working as an extension of TxDOT staff, the team worked to promote innovations in project inspection, materials testing, financing and delivery. Our team also managed a complex right-of-way and utility relocation program, which included more than 700 acquisition parcels, 500 rights of entry and 450 relocations. Effective management of the acquisition, relocation, survey, appraisal and appraisal review process allowed construction to progress even as the large-scale land acquisitions continued.

Three project segments opened over a span of 11 months. The fourth, and final, section opened to traffic in 2008, less than six years after the notice to proceed. The remaining 38 miles, segments 5 and 6, are being delivered as a separate project and will be constructed as the first concession project in Texas. In this model, a developer will design, build, maintain and operate the tollway for 50 years.