Section 4: PS&E Checklists
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This section presents the following checklists:
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- Pre-submission checklist Anchor: #HPMXURXW
- PS&E checklist for letting
Pre-Submission Checklist
Make sure all approved preliminary submissions agree with the design proposed in the plans.
Check the proposed design to see if any design exceptions and/or design waivers are necessary. If so, check to see if all necessary design exception request(s) have been approved.
Check to see if any new specifications, provisions or descriptive codes are needed. If so, make sure that all applicable Form 1814’s have been sent to the CST for processing at least two months prior to submission.
Check the Form 1002, Page 3, to see if it has been properly filled out. Ensure that it has been forwarded, signed and approved by the appropriate district staff. Make sure that the proposed design standards are suitable for the type of work and funding category proposed. For the most current guide to design criteria, go to http://crossroads/org/des/fs/docs/utprestructure.pdf.
Check to see if any road closures are proposed. If so, check to see if letters of concurrence from the affected local entities have been obtained and that documentation indicating district engineer’s approval is prepared.
Check to see if a railroad agreement is necessary. A railroad agreement is necessary if any work is proposed within railroad right-of-way. If so, check to see if a request has been sent to the Railroad Division (desirably one year prior to letting). Check to see if an agreement has been executed prior to submission. For all projects, railroad agreements must be executed (and approved by the FHWA for federal oversight projects) prior to receipt of bids. Certain projects are authorized to proceed to Letting and be conditionally awarded if the Traffic Operations Division (Railroad Section) determines that an executed agreement will be received in a timely manner for construction to proceed.
Check to see if airway-highway clearance is involved. If so, make sure that the proper documentation has been completed and coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and/or FHWA.
If a construction speed zone is required, make sure that Form 1204 has been properly filled out and forwarded to TRF for processing. The district needs to notify TRF and submit the form to that division.
For all traffic signals involved, prepare and submit one copy of each executed authorization form to the Traffic Operations Division. Temporary traffic signals used during construction also require an executed authorization form even though warrants are not required to be met.
If guarantees and/or warranties are required in the specifications or plans, check for compliance with 23 CFR 635.413. If necessary, prepare and submit to the responsible Austin division a memorandum requesting approval. The responsible Austin division reviews and approves the Federal-Aid State oversight projects or coordinates with the FHWA to obtain approval for Federal-Aid Federal oversight projects.
If experimental features or items of work are proposed, prepare and submit to the responsible Austin division a proposed work plan for approval. Work plans are reviewed by the responsible Austin division for Federal-Aid State oversight projects or submitted to the FHWA for approval on Federal-Aid Federal oversight projects.
Execute all necessary traffic signal or illumination agreements.
If escrow agreements are involved, check to make sure that the agreements have been executed and the proper advance funds are in hand 45 days prior to letting. Districts are required to certify receipt of funds (financial clearance) prior to letting and prior to award.
PS&E Checklist for Letting
The submittal (to Austin) date of the final PS&E will be as noted on the Finance Division’s “PS&E Review and Processing Schedule,” which can be accessed at http://crossroads/org/fin/Guidance/LettingManagement.htm (see Chapter 1, Section 3, PS&E Submissions Schedules, of this manual) by picking the schedule for the applicable fiscal year.
The following documentation should be submitted to the Design Division:
Pre-approved Special Provisions and/or Special Specifications (Form 1814)
General Notes
Letter of Transmittal to be used when issues to be discussed other than on Form 1002 are in the job
Form 1002 (all pages - preferably with Page 3 previously approved)
Plans Estimate
Specifications List
Sealed engineer’s certification
Sealed copy of hydraulic report cover page
Construction speed zone requests
The Form 1814, for approval of new Special Provisions or Special Specifications, must also have been submitted at least two months prior to the PS&E submittal, such that the project estimate and Specification List must be completed in order to build a proposal by the District
Letters from cities regarding construction speed zone request if within incorporated city limits, and city desires for TxDOT to pass a commission minute order
ROW parcel, utility adjustment, encroachment, relocation certifications, and railroad certifications.
Any new Triple Zero Special Provision (for unclear ROW, Utilities, unexecuted Railroad Agreement, or Sequence of Work)
Supplementary data sheets for both unclear ROW parcels and unclear utilities (i.e. unclear past letting date), which describe the effects on construction (required for Federal-Aid projects only)
Highway traffic signal recommendation(s)
State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) page (required on Federal projects)
Time worksheet
Public interest justification for proprietary Items
It is also the responsibility of the district to include a plot of the General Notes sheets in the final plans (see Chapter 3, Section 5, General Notes and 6, General Notes Checklist for more information).
Copies of applicable executed agreements
The submittal of project documents to Registered Accessibility Specialist if estimated cost of pedestrian elements exceeds $50,000.
The Title Sheet of the plans must show “Approved For Letting” at the district engineer’s signature location. The standard Austin approval signature blocks may be deleted or left blank if included
It is the responsibility of the district staff to include a plot of the E&Q sheet in the final plans. Once the estimate has been entered onto the DCIS P4 screen, this E&Q plot can be obtained by creation of a ROSCOE input file (see DCIS User Manual, Chapter 4, Instructions for E &Q Sheets, for detailed instructions) which is then used within the RJEJCL process (RJEJCL 10 1, program option #8, or new DCIS option M5).
A “Check” copy of the bid proposal must be built by the district. This is to verify the accuracy and completion of the Spec List and to verify readiness for final handling by the Field Coordination Sections. Once the General Notes, Spec List, and project estimate (on DCIS P4) have been completed, the check proposal is obtained by performing the following:
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- Logging onto CICS Anchor: #FRQHFFGJ
- Selecting the CMCS application (must have this automation access capability), inputting of “B13” at “select option” Anchor: #XGKRXVUC
- Following the screen-by-screen instructions.
One Proposal Submittal Sheet and one Pre-letting Checklist.
The Proposal Submittal Sheet can be obtained on the Design Division’s Intranet site at http://crossroads/org/des/tools/props/docs/PrjsubmTemplate2.pdf. The data on this form is for the most part self-explanatory. However, “Waived” refers to the waiver of pre-qualification of bidders for projects under $300,000, and “attachments” (usually “no”) refers to the presence of supplementary data attached to a project Special Specification, such as outside entity requirements for work contained in the project.
The pre-letting checklist can also be obtained on the Intranet Crossroads site at http://crossroads/org/des/tools/props/docs/cklist.doc. Instructions to assist in filling out this form can be found at http://crossroads/org/des/tools/props/index.asp.
Two required inputs in this process are:
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- The “Bids Received Until” date on the DCIS P5 screen (if blank, contact Letting Management, for a “Bid Received Until” date) Anchor: #QUVGNHSH
- The Proposal Guaranty amount on the P5 screen (amount set by project cost according to Minute Order # 108851 [Chapter 4, Section 6]). Guaranty will be generated by DCIS once 9 cards are added.
For the final PS&E package, only the Proposal Submittal Sheet and the printed proposal cover page are transmitted to Austin, rather than the entire printout of the check proposal itself. Upon completion of an accurate check bid proposal, the DCIS estimate code will be changed from “P” to “8”, after the proposal is built and released to the Design Division by entering "Y."