KYTC’s Digital Project Delivery Phase 2 Summary

Begun in 2020, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Digital Project Delivery (DPD) Initiative is working to expand the use of digitally formatted plan and project information throughout transportation asset life cycles. A primary goal of the initiative is to provide users with access to accurate data on design intent, as-built records, and maintenance operations in a connected data environment. This report reviews work completed during Phase 2 of the initiative. Thirteen pilot projects are ongoing or have been completed. In response to the initiative’s growth, the Division of Professional Services no longer issues formal requests for proposals to solicit pilot projects. Instead, any project stakeholder can request that a project be considered for inclusion in the DPD program. Phase 2 saw a shift in the initiative’s primary focus. During Phase 1, KYTC prioritized work related to the flow of electronic engineering data between design and construction. The Cabinet broadened its efforts during Phase 2 to address utilities and asset management. KYTC has started to receive digital data on utilities from utility consultants and owners that are incorporated into design deliverables submitted to construction. To help the Division of Maintenance compile an inventory of drainage structures, construction inspectors working on a DPD pilot project in Elliott County have been collecting data on drainage structures during efforts to gather as-built information. Another key achievement of Phase 2 was the development of a DPD Roadmap which defines the five-phase approach KTC will follow to gradually pursue agencywide implementation. Additionally, Kentucky Transportation Center researchers and the DPD Core Team strengthened their outreach to internal and external stakeholders during Phase 2 by distributing pilot project implementation plans more widely and sharing lessons learned as well as one-page quarterly newsletters. Phase 3 will place a greater focus on asset data collected during construction that can be used later in asset management. Successful implementation of DPD workflows across KYTC hinges on pilot projects performing well, subject-matter expert subcommittee engagement, user testimonies, and support from Cabinet executive leadership.