The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (HTA) has embarked on an ambitious undertaking to apply the Design/Build/Operate/ Maintain concept to the implementation ofTren Urbano, a major new start heavy rail rapid transit system in the San Juan metropolitan area. The project is being executed with the HTA providing managerial direction and the generation of financing; a Tren Urbano Office (TUO) providing the HTA's staff functions; a General Management, Architecture and Engineering Consultant (GMAEC) providing planning, preliminary design, preparation of contract documents and support to the Authority during final design and construction; a Systems and Test Track Turnkey (STTT) Contractor providing all systems, vehicles, track, storage and maintenance facilities, a 2.4 km portion of the mainline guideway, two stations and a period of revenue operations and maintenance; and six other Alignment Section Contractors (ASCs) each providing a portion of the mainline guideway and stations. The system is scheduled to open for revenue service in 2001.Significant achievements to date in the development of the project include defining and developing the contract packaging, preparing the contract documents for advertising, selecting the STTT Contractor and several of the ASCs and initiating design work by the STTT Contractor and one of the ASCs. Like all public transit projects, Tren Urbano is under development in a politically sensitive arena and all participants face challenges which must address the development of a major new start rail rapid transit system, the implementation of a new contracting process and the political, social and economic environments in Puerto Rico. Some of the challenges encountered by the Tren Urbano participants have included defining the boundaries between preliminary engineering and the contractors' design efforts; integrating the HTA, TUO, GMAEC and contractors' staffs and developing a mutual understanding of the roles, work scopes andresponsibilities of each; establishing effective interface management (design, construction and schedule) between the STTT contractor and other ASCs; and integrating operations and maintenance input into the design development process.This paper describes these issues, their resolution and how well those resolutions are currently working out.
展开▼
