Last week, the Supreme Court of Tennessee heard oral arguments on a contract interpretation issue in a construction dispute between Ray Bell Construction and Tennessee Department of Transportation. You can get the details here, but the real lesson is one about how to interpret contracts, whether you are talking about the scope of work, changes
Transportation Contractors: What Is an Unbalanced Bid and Why Should You Care?
Last week, contractors and subcontractors bidding on Tennessee Department of Transportation projects received an alert from Brian Egan, TDOT Director of Construction, warning of a noticeable increase in unbalance bids [pdf]. While the rules differ among each state, you should take Egan’s warning to heart since the consequence of submitting of an unbalanced bid can
Are You or Your Subcontractors Using Illegal Immigrant Labor on Your Construction Projects?
Last month, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) suspended all current bridge construction projects by Britton Bridge, LLC and related companies until they performed an independent review of their safety procedures. This action came as a result of a second on-the-job fatality of a worker at the Henley Bridge project in Knoxville, TN, since January 2011.
Floods and Heavy Rains: How to Best Prepare a Delay Claim for Unusually Severe Weather
Yesterday, highway and bridge contractors in Tennessee received an alert from from TDOT officials about the affect of heavy rain in the area: "I’m sure most are aware of the anticipated rise in the Mississippi River, but could you please share with all that are working in the Mississippi River area and the backwater areas
Can PPPs Revive Highway and Bridge Construction?
My friend Kent Starwalt of the Tennessee Road Builder’s Association sent out a legislative update this morning about the tension between Obama Administration and the Republican controlled Congress on infrastructure investment.
According to the Stateline article, the divisions over transportation investment include high-speed rail, roads, bridges and access to high-speed internet:
The
FHWA Policy Defines What Land Can Be Acquired by Roadway Contractor
This must be the week for transportation. Yesterday, I received an update from the Tennessee Road Builder’s Association about the acquisition of right of ways on Federal funded projects. According to a memo from TDOT’s Chief Engineer Paul Degges, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be enforcing its policy that all property must be
TDOT Resists Borrowing for Bridges … and Other Project Finance Options
As I drove into work this morning, Nashville Public Radio had a piece this morning about TDOT’s resistance to borrow for bridge construction. In case you did not know, TDOT employs a pay-as-you go method, which means the state will not borrow for new projects even when it has the opportunity.
Last year, the
After Two Rounds, Road Builder Wins $2.5 Million Bonus from TDOT
If you are a contractor, you love hearing about these types of boxing tales: Contractor works his butt off. Owner benefits from the accelerated work. Contractor seeks early completion bonus. Owner rejects the claim based upon technicality. Contractor fights in court … fights on appeal … and wins!
That is exactly what happened in