Design Bulletins

Updated on August 10, 2020
Soil Retention Coverings

2014-8. Revised on July 27, 2015. This design bulletin replaces the guidance in the Erosion Control and Stormwater Quality Guide, Chapter 5, Sections EC 5 and 6, and provides design staff with guidance on how to select and place Soil Retention Coverings on slopes and in roadside ditches in accordance with new Standard Special Provision, “Revision of Section 216 – Soil Retention Covering”.

Project Specifications Assembly Tool

2014-7. Revised on October 1, 2014. The purpose of this Design Bulletin is to provide CDOT designers with the updated tool that is a more efficient way to assemble their Specification Package for their advertisement set.

LandXML Files for Contractors for Bidding Purposes

2014-6. May 8, 2014. This Design Bulletin provides guidance to designers regarding the change to the Project Special Provision Revision Of Section 102, Project Plans and Other Data that establishes the mechanism whereby CDOT provides electronic documents to assist Contractors in understanding the larger earthwork aspects of the job.

Noise Regulation Revisions

2014-5. April 04. 2014. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has changed several key elements of how noise impacts and noise mitigation are assessed and applied to federal projects.

SAP Milestone Schedule

2014-4. Revised on December 11, 2015. (Supersedes DB-2014-4, November 24, 2015). This Design Bulletin defines the 7 minimum milestone dates needed for the Office of Program Management. It is important to standardize project milestones in order to make communication of project information and reporting better at a regional and statewide level.

Estimating Drawdown Schedules

2014-1. Revised on July 24, 2015. This bulletin provides interim guidance on how to develop anticipated construction drawdown schedules during design, and identifies technical support resources.

Construction Phasing

2013-5. November 19, 2013. This bulletin provides guidance for design staff in addressing construction phasing in our plans and specifications for design-bid-build projects.

CDOT Design Phase Value Engineering (VE) Program

2013-3. August 30, 2013. This design bulletin provides guidance on CDOT’s statewide Value Engineering (VE) program, and supersedes the Project Development Manual (PDM), Section 2.15, “VALUE ENGINEERING (DURING DESIGN PHASE)”.

Project Cost Estimates and Federal Authorization

2013-2. March 29, 2013 (Supersedes Design Bulletin 2009-1). The Project Development Manual (PDM), Section 1.04.02, “Federal Authorization and Budgeting,” has been modified to clarify CDOT’s implementation of Federal requirements for a documented Project Cost Estimate when the FHWA authorization of Federal funds is requested.

Preparing an Independent Cost Estimate for Consultant Services

2013-1. March 29, 2013. The Project Development Manual (PDM) Sections 1.05.01, “Obtaining a Consultant Contract” and 1.05.02, “Preparing an Independent Cost Estimate for Consultant Contracts,” have been modified to clarify CDOT’s implementation of Federal requirements for an Independent Cost Estimate (ICE) for Consultant Contracts.

Safety Edge

2011-04. September 23, 2011. This design bulletin replaces the typical sections in the CDOT Roadway Design Guide with typical sections that show the pavement being constructed with a sloped safety edge as described in the new standard special provision, Revision of Sections 401 and 412, Safety Edge.

Assigning Pavement Smoothness Categories

2011-3. February 18, 2011. (Revised on January 12, 2017). This design bulletin provides guidance to designers for assigning pavement smoothness categories for hot mix asphalt and Portland cement concrete pavements.

Protection of Migratory Birds

2011-2. February 03, 2011. This Design bulletin adds Section 2.27 to the Project Development Manual. Section 2.27 provides guidelines and strategies during project development to ensure that appropriate and reasonable measures are included in the Contract to prevent the taking of migratory birds and to avoid civil and criminal penalties associated with non-compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).