Analysis: Did Design-Build Fail on Route 20 in Oregon?

Bridge piers left incomplete after slope movement caused them to be out of plumb on the Oregon Route 20 Project from Pioneer to Eddyville

Bridge piers left incomplete after slope movement caused them to be out of plumb on the Oregon Route 20 Project from Pioneer to Eddyville

The Oregon Route 20 project resulted in the original design-build contractor being terminated from the project after bridge pier bents began shifting from construction activities in a landslide-prone area.

"Design-build is more of a risk on sites with extreme and challenging geotechnical issues," says Bill McGowan, who works for Watsonville, Calif.-based Granite Construction Co., the leader of the design-build joint venture called Yaquina River Constructors. "It may not be the best type of project for design-build."

[Source: ENR: Engineering News Record. Image: NewsLincolnCounty.com]