Project Concept Report Template

Introduction
Projects on which concept reports are prepared usually originate from one of the following three
offices’, Traffic Operations, Safety or from the Pavement Condition Survey that is developed by
the District Material Office. However, the project may be initiated by any office or organization.
The office that initiates the project is referred to as the Originating Office.
The Scope Input Offices (SIO) within the FDOT Districts may include the following offices:
Planning, Design (Roadway, Structures, Pavement, Lighting, Signals, Signing & Pavement
Markings, Utilities and Drainage), Permits, Traffic Operations, Safety, Maintenance, Survey,
Geotechnical, Right of Way and Construction. These and other sources of information for the
sections below will be shown in italics under each heading.

Project Location
Originating Office, Straight Line Diagrams, Work Program

Where is the project located? State Road Number and/or Local Road Name, Section Number,
County, Begin & End Milepost Number, City

Project Origin/Need
Originating Office, Maintenance, field reviews

Project Origin
What or who is driving the project?
Pavement Condition Survey, Traffic Operations, Safety Office, Public Input, MPO, etc.

Project Need
What problems need addressing?
Pavement failures, capacity, adding or increasing turn lanes, signalization, crashes or other
safety issues such as access, sub-standard guardrail or bridge rails, etc

Project Description/ Intent/Concept

Originating Office, SIO, Work Program Office, field reviews

– What is being proposed to correct the problems?

Recommendations for the project – Describe what is to be done.

Resurfacing, widening, adding or extend turn lanes, shoulders, traffic signals, sidewalks, extend culverts,
guardrail upgrade, realign intersection, modify turning radius, lighting, etc.
 Components of the project
– Show work types that are anticipated on the project
Roadway, Structures, Right of Way, Drainage, Utilities, Signals, Lighting, Signing, Pavement
Markings, Survey, Geotechnical, Public Information Meetings, etc.

Project Exclusions
– List unfunded features or features being included on future projects
Lane or shoulder width widening, intersection improvements, bridge repair/replacement, etc

Adjacent projects or related projects

- Include possible conflicts and coordination with adjacent projects or future projects.
Maintenance of traffic coordination, pavement transitions, traffic signal interconnections, etc.

Project Stakeholders, Issues and Commitments

Private and Public Input/meetings, research and field reviews

Stakeholders –
Identify all individuals and groups with an interest in the project Local government, utility
companies, adjacent property owners, road users, special interest groups, environmental
agencies, bike/ped/transit, etc.

Issues
Identify potential issues such as contamination, flood plain, T & E species, Right of Way,
community, access, etc.

Commitments
MPO’s, Local government, property/business owners, environmental agencies

Project Funding
Work Program Office

Proposed phases with amounts, fiscal years, funding category, etc

Known or possible JPAs.

Existing Conditions
Typical Section(s)
Old plans, Straight Line Diagrams, field reviews, SIO, Planning Office, Rail Office

Provide description of existing typical section features.

 o Number of lanes/width
o Shoulders/width
o Parking/width
o Turn Lanes/Ramps
o HOV Lanes
o Median width/barrier
o Curb & Gutter/type (Has gutter been paved?)
o Sidewalk/width
o Bicycle lanes/width
o Right of Way/width
o Drainage System (Open/Enclosed)
o Rumble strips/type
o Traffic Monitoring sites
o Approved Design Variations or Exceptions for the existing features

Roadway Classification
Planning and Work Program Office

Describe existing roadway classification and note is FIHS or SIS,

o Interstate, Expressway, Freeway
o Major Arterial
o Minor Arterial
o Local Road

Posted Speed & Design Speed

Field Review and old plans or Straight Line Diagrams

Pavement Conditions
Materials Office, Maintenance, Pavement Design, field reviews

o Base and pavement type and thickness

o Pavement condition rating
o Pavement condition survey summary

Design Deficiencies
SIO and field reviews

o Summary of existing substandard roadway features (horizontal and vertical

alignment, superelevation and cross slope, clear zones, guardrail, pipe end wall
treatment, etc)
o List known exceptions and variations
o Summary of ADA Survey (Include forms & photos in appendix)

Drainage
Old plans, Maintenance, Drainage, Safety and field reviews

o Describe existing stormwater system

o Existing ponds and outfalls
 o Describe any known deficiencies (from field reviews or Safety or Maintenance
personnel)
o Permit issues or concerns

Structures/Walls
Old plans and field reviews
o Existing bridges, bridge culverts, retaining walls
o Noise walls
o Lighting, sign and signal foundations
o Handrails and Guardrails

Utilities/Railroads
Utility Office, Utility Owners, Rail Office, old plans and field reviews

o Utility – location/size, owners

o List any existing conditions that would require a utility exception
o Railroad – location, number of tracks, owner, existing gates, signs or signals for
both crossing and parallel tracks
o Control zone violations

Signing/Lighting/Pavement Markings/Signals
Traffic Plans, Traffic Operations and field reviews

o List and describe location of all roadway lighting, traffic signals and loops
o List and describe location of all traffic monitoring sites, weight in motion or other
IT installations.
o List and describe all major sign structures
o Identify pavement markings, raised pavement markers, no passing zones, school
zones, etc
o Signal Interconnects or other ITS communication lines

Safety Issues
Safety Office and field reviews
o Summary of crash history including identification of crash locations, injury/fatality
numbers and contributing cause(s)
o Access Management Classification
o Driveways and Median openings
o Include crash data/history in Appendices

Traffic Data
Planning

o Existing traffic data

o Turning movements

Other Field Observation/Input

In addition to field observations seek input from District Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator,
Maintenance, Local officials and law enforcement, Permit agencies and District Permit Office,
District Emergency Operations Center, District Access Management authority
 Field Observations
(Other than listed above.)
o Bicycle, pedestrian and ADA features
o Schools and school zones and hospitals
o Transit stops
o Intersection alignment and side road impacts
o Driveways and median opening
o Sight distances at intersections and driveways
o Note any design, drainage or safety issues or deficiencies
o Archaeological sites, hazardous material sites, etc
o Wetlands or other permit issues
o Hurricane Evacuation Route?
o Special events or seasonal traffic that would impact construction
o Include photos

Other Input
o General Public, Adjacent Property Owner, Permitting Agencies, Local
Government, MPO

Proposed Project Features - Preliminary Scope

The project features that are to be included in the proposed project are usually determined by a
committee of FDOT personnel once all the needs have been determined, taking into account
the cost and benefits of all proposed project needs and funding availability.
The latest FDOT manuals, handbooks, standards and policy are used to determine the criteria
to which all the features are design and built.

Recommendations
Include all proposed design and construction activities. It is also important to
document decisions made on features that are not being included in the project.

Typical Section
Describe proposed typical section and/or describe the consultant’s role in
establishing the typical section package. Include proposed typical section in
Appendices.

Pavement Design
Include preliminary pavement design and/or describe the consultant’s role in
establishing the pavement design.

Design Criteria
List or reference appropriate criteria.

Variation or Exceptions
List known or possible sub-standard features that are unfunded or cannot be corrected
in the design and construction of this project. Also list any previously approved design
variations or exceptions.