NPHQ > Awards & Success Stories > 2008 Winner

Tribal, Local, State Governments Partner to Save 30% on I-40 Highway Project

Alliance Improves Quality, Safety and Service to Highway Users

Located in the Laguna Indian Reservation, this $3.6 million venture included pavement milling and inlay, ramp reconstruction, construction of accel/decel lanes on I-40, road intersection improvements, construction of a bike/pedestrian path, drainage improvements, ADA compliant improvements, materials testing and other associated activities to support the reconstruction/rehabilitation project.

Guiding Principles were established as part of NMDOTs Strategic Plan to focus on enhancing partnerships with Tribal Governments, Local, State and Federal Governments and to efficiently use public resources.  Using these principles, new practices were developed that combined and shared resources and transferred project ownership to stakeholders.

A Memorandum Of Understanding signed by the Pueblo of Laguna and NMDOT established a formal government-to-government relationship.  A Joint Partnership Agreement established responsibilities and contributions of each partnering agency.

FHWA allowed the Pueblo of Laguna to be the lead agency, including advertising, awarding and administering the contract.  BIA accepted the NMDOT design standards and construction specifications for its portion of the project, while NMDOT provided project management that included inspection, quality assurance, materials testing and recordkeeping of each funding source.  All monetary contributions from the BIA, NMDOT and Laguna Development Corporation were placed into an escrow account for construction progress payment.

The ingenuity of this innovative collaboration led to the successful design, planning, management and completion of this project, had little impact to local and Interstate traffic, and realized an overall cost savings of 30 percent.