Chapter 4

COORDINATION OF BRIDGE
REPLACEMENT PROJECTS

SCDOT BRIDGE DESIGN MANUAL

April 2006
SCDOT Bridge Design Manual COORDINATION OF BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS

Table of Contents

Section Page

4.1 SCDOT UNITS EXTERNAL TO PRECONSTRUCTION DIVISION ...................4-1

4.1.1 Traffic Engineering Division ...................................................................4-1

4.1.2 Environmental Management Office.........................................................4-2
4.1.3 Construction Division ..............................................................................4-4
4.1.4 District Offices.........................................................................................4-5
4.1.5 Bridge Maintenance Office......................................................................4-5
4.1.6 Constructibility Review Team .................................................................4-5
4.1.7 Contract Audit Services ...........................................................................4-6

4.2 PRECONSTRUCTION DIVISION...........................................................................4-7

4.2.1 Road Design Section................................................................................4-7

4.2.2 Program Development Section (East and West)......................................4-8
4.2.3 Right of Way Office.................................................................................4-8

4.2.3.1 Coordination ........................................................................4-8

4.2.3.2 Right-of-Way Plans .............................................................4-8

4.2.4 Hydraulic Engineering Section ................................................................4-9

4.2.5 Surveys Office .........................................................................................4-10
4.2.6 Utilities Office .........................................................................................4-11

4.3 EXTERNAL AGENCIES..........................................................................................4-12

4.3.1 Federal Agencies......................................................................................4-12

4.3.1.1 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) .........................4-12

4.3.1.2 United States Forest Service (USFS) ...................................4-12
4.3.1.3 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)..............................4-12
4.3.1.4 National Park Service (NPS) ...............................................4-12
4.3.1.5 US Coast Guard (USCG) Homeland Security
Command Center .................................................................4-12
4.3.1.6 US Geological Survey (USGS)............................................4-13

4.3.2 State Government.....................................................................................4-13

4.3.2.1 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

(SCDNR)..............................................................................4-13
4.3.2.2 South Carolina Office of Coastal Resource Management
(OCRM) ...............................................................................4-13

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Table of Contents
(Continued)

Section Page

4.3.3 Local Government ...................................................................................4-13

4.3.3.1 City and County Government ..............................................4-13

4.3.3.2 Local Planning Agencies .....................................................4-13

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CHAPTER 4
COORDINATION OF
BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS

During the development of a bridge replacement project, the bridge designer must coordinate
with many units internal and external to the Bridge Design Section. Chapter 1 describes the
functional responsibilities of units within the Bridge Design Section. Chapter 2 presents a
network that describes the project development sequence for the bridge replacement process.
Chapter 4 discusses specific coordination responsibilities between the bridge designer and other
Units. Together, these three Chapters will provide an understanding of the necessary interaction
among the various Units in project development.

4.1 SCDOT UNITS EXTERNAL TO PRECONSTRUCTION DIVISION

The following discusses the specific coordination responsibilities between the bridge designer
and selected SCDOT Units external to the Preconstruction Division.

4.1.1 Traffic Engineering Division

The Traffic Engineering Division provides a variety of traffic engineering services to other
Departmental Units (e.g., selection and design of traffic control devices, highway capacity
analyses, traffic engineering studies). The Traffic Engineering Division will be invited to field
reviews on an as-needed basis and will receive appropriate project-related correspondence (i.e.,
Project Planning Report, Design Field Review Plans, Preliminary Bridge Plans, 95% Bridge
Plans).

Where a bridge project involves the removal of an existing structure in a specific sequence
during construction, the Bridge Design Team will provide a proposed staging plan to the Traffic
Engineering Division for the development of the proposed Work Zone Traffic Control Plans.
The Traffic Engineering Division provides the Road Design Section with the Work Zone Traffic
Control Plans.

The Traffic Engineering Division is responsible for the following:

1. Work Zone Traffic Control. The Traffic Engineering Division is responsible for
developing a plan for the maintenance and protection of traffic during construction within
the project limits. This may include, for example, providing one lane of traffic across a
2-lane, 2-way bridge, providing a detour around the bridge or, on a multilane facility,
providing a crossover between the two roadways. The Work Zone Traffic Control Plan
should include any necessary temporary signing or pavement markings.

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2. Permanent Signing And Pavement Markings. The Traffic Engineering Division is

responsible for developing the Signing and Pavement Marking Plans for the placement of
permanent signs and pavement markings. Typically, permanent signing is included only
on major bridges.

3. Traffic Signals and Highway Lighting. The Traffic Engineering Division is responsible
for developing a plan for the placement of traffic signals and highway lighting on
SCDOT bridge projects.

4. Traffic Data. The Traffic Engineering Division maintains current traffic data (e.g., ADT,
ADTT) and will provide such data upon request.

4.1.2 Environmental Management Office

The Environmental Management Office is within the Planning, Finance, and Administration
Division and is responsible for a variety of activities related to environmental impacts and
procedures. This includes air, noise, and water quality analyses; biological, archeological, and
historical impacts; preparation of environmental documents for SCDOT projects; evaluation and
mitigation of hazardous waste sites; and public involvement. In particular, the Environmental
Management Office coordinates with the applicable Federal and/or State agencies for processing
the permit information and obtaining the agency approvals.

The following summarizes the coordination between the Project Manager and the Environmental
Management Office:

1. Notice of Eminent Domain. The Project Manager provides the Environmental

Management Office with a draft Notice of Eminent Domain. The Environmental
Management Office is responsible for advertising the proposed project (i.e., publishing
the letter/notice in the local and/or regional newspapers).

2. Permits/Approvals. Typically, the Project Manager will provide an Initial Studies

Request for Environmental Documents when the Hydraulics Request is submitted. At
this time, the Environmental Management Office is responsible for reviewing the project
and obtaining the necessary permits and/or approvals. The Environmental Management
Office will provide the Project Manager with the permit and/or approval once obtained.
The following provides examples of some of the required permits and approvals:

a. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 permit. All State highway
projects involving possible discharges of dredge and fill material into waters of
the United States, including wetlands, require a permit from the Corps as required
by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

b. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 10 Permit. Pursuant to Section

10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, an individual Section 10 permit is
required for structures and/or work affecting any navigable water of the United

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States. Navigable waters of the US are those waters that are presently used, or
have been used, or may be used to transport Interstate or foreign commerce.

c. US Coast Guard (USCG) Section 9 Permit. A USCG Section 9 permit is required

for the construction of bridges or causeways over navigable waters of the United
States.

d. Section 4(f). A Section 4(f) approval is required if a project will impact publicly
owned land (e.g., public park, recreational area, wildlife/waterfowl refuge,
historic/archeological site). An approval will be granted only if there is no
feasible and prudent alternative.

e. Section 6(f). Federal law places restrictions on the use of land acquired with
funds authorized by the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965 as
administered by the US Department of Interior (Section 6(f) of the LWCF). The
Environmental Management Office secures approval where required.

f. Section 106. For all Federally funded projects, SCDOT must identify
archeological and historic sites in the vicinity of the project. The identified sites
must be evaluated to determine if they are eligible for the National Register of
Historic Places (NRHP). SCDOT submits recommendations for eligibility to the
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) for its concurrence. If a site is
considered eligible for the NRHP and, if the project will impact the site, the
Department is mandated to mitigate the adverse effects. The Environmental
Management Office and the Project Manager coordinate with one another to
satisfy the Section 106 procedures.

g. US Fish and Wildlife Permits/Approvals. Where threatened and endangered

species may be affected by a bridge project, the Environmental Management
Office must obtain a permit and/or approval from the US Fish and Wildlife
Service.

3. NEPA Requirements. The Environmental Management Office is responsible for

ensuring that the project meets the Department’s environmental and public input criteria
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This includes project
documentation (i.e., Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, Environmental
Impact Statement), water quality impacts, biological impacts, historical impacts,
archeological impacts, and the need for public hearings. In general, the Environmental
Management Office makes its determination of impacts based on the input from the
Project Manager.

4. Wetland Mitigation. For wetland mitigation sites, the Environmental Management Office
will determine the location, size, and type of wetlands at the site; review the hydrology
with the Hydraulic Engineering Section to ensure an adequate water supply; and provide
a conceptual plan of the site. The Road Design Group is responsible for the preparation

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of plans, cross sections, and summaries of quantities, and for providing any Special
Provisions that may apply to construction items.

5. State Agency Coordination. The Environmental Management Office determines the need
for early coordination on environmental issues with other State (e.g., Department of
Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Health and Control, Coastal Council)
and Federal (e.g., FHWA, EPA, USACE) entities and initiates all direct contact.

4.1.3 Construction Division

The Construction Division, in coordination with the District Offices, is responsible for all
construction activities on all State-administered projects. This includes construction
specifications, construction inspections, construction staffing, and approval of construction
change orders. The following summarizes the coordination between the Bridge Design Section
and the Construction Division:

1. Office of Materials and Research. The Bridge Design Section submits a request for
subsurface field investigations and asbestos/lead-based paint investigations to the Office
of Materials and Research.

2. Reports. The Bridge Construction Engineer receives copies of the Project Planning
Report and the 95% Bridge Plans. The Bridge Construction Engineer reviews the plans
and provides recommendations for changes to the Project Manager.

3. Constructibility Reviews. Selected projects may undergo a Constructibility Review to

ensure that a project is buildable, cost effective, biddable, and maintainable. A
representative from the Construction Office is the designated Team Leader during all
Constructibility Reviews; however, the Project Manager is responsible for the
organization of the Review. See Section 4.1.6.

4. Bid Proposal. After the Final Construction Plans are completed and all reviews/
approvals/signatures are obtained, the Letting Preparation Group will transmit the Bid
Proposal Package to the Contract Administration Office within the Construction Division
for letting. See Section 9.1 for a list of documents to be included in the Bid Proposal
Package.

5. Shop Plans. Contractors are responsible for submitting the required Shop Plans (e.g.,
structural steel, prestressed concrete beams) to the Department or Design Consultant for
review. See the SCDOT Standard Specifications, Section 725 of the SCDOT
Construction Manual and Section 24.1 for more information on Shop Plans.

6. Change Orders. See Section 24.3 for information on change orders.

7. Value Engineering Proposals. See Section 24.3 for information on Value Engineering
Proposals.

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4.1.4 District Offices

The Department’s seven District Offices provide field services within each geographic area.
Their responsibilities include maintenance of the State highway system, construction inspection
services, contacts with county and city governments, and traffic-related activities (e.g.,
encroachment permits).

In general, for all projects, the Project Manager will maintain continual contact with the District
Office. The District Office will be invited to the Scoping Meeting and all Design Field Reviews,
and receive appropriate project-related correspondence. For projects where traffic is detoured
during construction of the replacement bridge, the Project Manager should coordinate the detour
route with the District Traffic Engineer.

4.1.5 Bridge Maintenance Office

The Bridge Maintenance Office is within the Maintenance Division. This Office has the
responsibility to inspect all in-service bridges and to maintain all State-owned, in-service
bridges. The Bridge Maintenance Office is responsible for administering the SCDOT Bridge
Management System (BMS). The BMS uses the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data,
additional bridge data, input from Department management, and input from the District Offices
to develop an optimum bridge program for:

• preservation,
• rehabilitation, and
• replacement.

Specifically for bridge rehabilitation projects, the Bridge Maintenance Office and Bridge Design
Section coordinate to determine which Unit performs bridge rehabilitation work depending on
the workload of each Unit. For bridge widening projects, the bridge designer should consult
with the Bridge Maintenance Office on the condition and load capacity of the existing structure.
See Chapter 23 for more discussion on bridge widening and bridge rehabilitation projects.

4.1.6 Constructibility Review Team

The Project Manager is responsible for organizing a Constructibility Review for projects with
estimated construction costs of 25 million dollars or greater. This responsibility includes
establishing a Constructibility Review Team early in the design stage (i.e., prior to the Design
Field Review Meeting) that is comprised of representatives from the various Units of the
Department as well as representatives external to SCDOT (e.g., Bridge Design, Construction,
District, FHWA, Contractors). The Project Manager should coordinate with the Director of
Construction in selecting the appropriate participants. The Construction Office representative
will act as the Team Leader during the actual review meetings. A final report will be prepared
by the Review Team and submitted to the Project Manager for review and approval. The Project
Manager is responsible for ensuring that the accepted recommendations of the team are
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incorporated into the project documents. For more information on Constructibility Reviews, see
Section 101.3 of the SCDOT Construction Manual.

4.1.7 Contract Audit Services

Contract Audit Services is housed within the Planning, Finance, and Administration Division and
is responsible for the pre-award audit for Consultants, any Bi-State agreements, and any
Participation Agreements. The following applies:

1. Pre-award Audit. Consultants for the Department are required to undergo a pre-award
audit before working for SCDOT. The Project Manager is responsible for requesting that
Contract Audit Services performs the pre-award audit.

2. Bi-State Agreements. Where a bridge project crosses the State line, the Project Manager
is responsible for notifying Contract Audit Services to initiate a Bi-State agreement. See
Section 5.1 for information on Bi-State Agreements.

3. Participation Agreements. Any local bridge construction or maintenance project that

receives Federal funding through the State must be supervised and approved by the
Department and requires an Agreement. The Project Manager is responsible for
notifying Contract Audit Services to initiate a Participation Agreement. See Section 5.1
for information on Participation Agreements.

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4.2 PRECONSTRUCTION DIVISION

4.2.1 Road Design Section

The following describes the coordination between the Bridge Design Section and the Road
Design Section:

1. Preliminary Design. A scoping field review is held for all bridge replacement projects.
The roadway representative on these scoping meetings is the Road Design Bridge Project
Facilitator. After the field review, the Road Design Bridge Project Facilitator will
proceed with the preparation of the Survey Request, if the existing alignment will be
retained. If a new alignment is recommended, the Road Design Bridge Project Facilitator
will forward the information to the Preliminary Design Engineer. Once the Preliminary
Design Engineer sets a new alignment, the alignment is sent to the Road Design Bridge
Project Facilitator for preparation of the Survey Request.

The Road Design Bridge Project Facilitator sends the Survey Request to the Project
Manager for review and submittal and to the Hydraulic Engineering Section and the
Traffic Engineering Division for review. While the Survey Request is being reviewed,
the Road Design Bridge Project Facilitator will prepare and provide a roadway cost
estimate to the Project Manager. After all reviews are completed, the Project Manager
submits the Survey Request to the Surveys Office. Once the survey is completed, it is
forwarded to the Road Design Section where a Design Group is assigned for plan
development.

2. Approach Roadway. The Road Design Group is responsible for all roadway approach
work. The Road Design Group coordinates embankment designs with the State
Geotechnical Design Engineer, as necessary.

3. Roadside Safety Appurtenances. The Project Manager will select the type and design of
the bridge rail. The Road Design Group will determine the type and design of the
approaching guardrail transition into the bridge rail.

4. Sidewalks. The Project Manager will determine sidewalk requirements on bridges and
will forward the decision to the Road Design Group.

5. Plan Preparation. The Bridge Design Section prepares all necessary bridge design plan
sheets. The Bridge Design Section forwards the plans to the Engineering Reproduction
Services for printing.

6. Bid Proposal. The Bridge Design Section provides any Special Provisions to the Letting
Preparation Group to prepare the proposal.

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4.2.2 Program Development Section (East and West)

For designated projects, the Program Development Section manages bridge replacement projects.
For these projects, the Program Manager serves as the bridge replacement Project Manager. For
all bridge replacement projects, the Bridge Design Section and Program Managers maintain
contact throughout the development process.

4.2.3 Right of Way Office

4.2.3.1 Coordination

The Right of Way Office is responsible for all activities related to the right-of-way for the State
highway system. This includes appraisals, acquisitions, relocation, and property management.
The Road Design Section is responsible for developing, signing, and sealing the right-of-way
plans; however, the Project Manager must review and approve the plans. The following
summarizes the coordination between the Road Design Section and the Right of Way Office with
oversight by the Project Manager:

1. Coordination. The Road Design Section provides the Right of Way Office with the
needed design information to determine the right-of-way impacts.

2. Plan Preparation. The Road Design Section provides the Right of Way Office with the
Right-of-Way Plans. The Right of Way Office requests modifications to the Right-of-
Way Plans from the Project Manager based on contacts and negotiations with landowners
and the search of public records to determine ownership.

3. Acquisition. The Right of Way Office performs all right-of-way work and procures all
properties needed for the project. The Right of Way Office notifies the Project Manager
of any design considerations resulting from negotiations with the property owners.

4.2.3.2 Right-of-Way Plans

The following procedures apply to the coordination between the Road Design Section and the
Project Manager for sending and receiving prints for obtaining new right-of-way and right-of-
way revisions, and verifying existing right-of-way:

1. Plans. After the Right-of-Way Plans have been checked and all necessary signatures
obtained, the proper number of prints will be sent to the Right of Way Office by the
Letting Preparation Group’s Coordinator. Bridge replacement project plans that are not
complete for construction at this time will be maintained by the Road Design Section
until completion of the Final Construction Plans and will be available from the Road
Design Group. Right-of-Way Plans must be approved by the Project Manager.

The Right of Way Office obtains CADD files from the Road Design Group by informing
the Road Design Group Leader of the needed files. The Road Design Group should
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provide the files to the Right of Way Office for its use. Files should then be sent back to
the Road Design Group Leaders as soon as practical. The Road Design Group should
coordinate with the Project Manager for any input needed.

2. Revisions. Any plan revisions made after the Right-of-Way Plans are submitted must be
approved by the Project Manager and detailed by placing a revision note on the
appropriate plan sheet. Include in the revision note any tract numbers affected by the
changes. All plan revisions should be routed to the Right of Way Office in the normal
manner so that the Right-of-Way Agent has the correct information to provide to the
affected landowners.

3. Existing Right-of-Way. The Road Design Group, using old plans, verifies the existing
right-of-way. If the old plans contain recorded deeded information, then it is accepted as
being verified and initialed by the Road Design Group individual verifying the present
right-of-way. If present right-of-way is shown on the plans, but does not have recorded
right-of-way data, then the plans are transferred to the Right of Way Office for
verification. Deed or plat book and page number must be used to verify any dedicated
right-of-way. The Surveys Office or the Right of Way Office supplies this information to
the Road Design Group.

4.2.4 Hydraulic Engineering Section

The Hydraulic Engineering Section is responsible for performing and/or reviewing hydrologic
and hydraulic analyses on all projects for both roadway drainage appurtenances and bridge
waterway openings. For hydrologic/hydraulic analyses, the responsibilities of the Bridge Design
Section and the Hydraulic Engineering Section are as follows:

1. Request for Survey. The Project Manager is responsible for forwarding the Request for
Survey to the Hydraulic Engineering Section for review and approval.

2. Hydraulic Report/Scour Report. Typically, any structures over a waterway require a

Hydraulic Report/Scour Study. Once the general bridge location is known, the Project
Manager will prepare a Hydraulic Study request for the Hydraulics Engineer to conduct
the necessary studies and prepare the applicable reports. Based on the hydrologic data
collected, the preliminary alignment, and input received from the Project Manager, bridge
designer, and Geotechnical Design Section, the Hydraulic Engineering Section will
perform the detailed hydraulic analysis for a bridge. See Section 5.5 for more details on
the content of the Hydraulic Report/Scour Report. The Report will provide the following
information to the Road Design Group and Bridge Design Team:

• beginning and ending stations (i.e., bridge length);

• the water surface elevation for the design-year flood;

• a minimum low-chord elevation;

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• the proposed number of spans and span arrangement;

• riprap requirements;

• the necessary bridge waterway channel bottom width, side slopes, skew angle,
and channel centerline station; and

• the results of the hydraulic scour analysis.

In addition, as needed, the Bridge Design Section and Hydraulic Engineering Section coordinate
on the design for bridge deck drainage. See Chapter 18 for a discussion on this coordination.

4.2.5 Surveys Office

The Surveys Office is responsible for conducting aerial and field surveys for all Department
projects. The following summarizes the coordination with the Bridge Design Team:

1. Field Survey. If, during the bridge scoping trip, the decision is made that a field survey is
needed, the Road Design Section prepares a Request for Survey. The survey request is
submitted to the Surveys Office by the Project Manager and assigned to the appropriate
Regional Survey Group. Upon completion of the survey, the planimetric data of the site
is plotted into a 2-D MicroStation design file along with all alignment and property
information. All cross section data is mapped into a 3-D MicroStation design file in the
form of a digital terrain model or provided in ASCII files that are compatible for
processing with the Department’s design software. All files associated with the project
are then placed on the network, and the appropriate personnel are notified that the survey
information is available.

2. Aerial Survey. A Survey Request is submitted to the Surveys Office, which includes a
proposed alignment outlined on a 7½-in USGS quadrangle map. That information is then
forwarded to an on-call Aerial Consultant. The Surveys Office, in most cases, will
provide all ground surveys needed for an aerial project including the setting of panel
points, traverses, drainage surveys, and any additional data that might be required. The
Aerial Consultant will provide all planimetric mapping in a 2-D MicroStation design file
and all Digital Terrain Models mapped in a 3-D MicroStation design file as breaklines
and spot elevations. All files associated with the project are then placed on the network,
and the appropriate personnel are notified that the survey information is available.

3. Control Traverse. The Surveys Office ensures that all horizontal and vertical control is
set for the project and provides the information to the Road Design Section. The Road
Design Section is responsible for placing this information on the plans in a form that can
be easily found and understood by those charged with the task of constructing the project.
The Road Design Section coordinates with the Project Manager to complete the plans.

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4.2.6 Utilities Office

The Utilities Office is responsible for coordinating with utility and railroad companies impacted
by bridge replacement projects.

After the Right-of-Way Plans are completed and approved, the Road Design Section provides the
Utilities Office with a set of plans with the existing utilities plotted as determined by the survey.
The Road Design Group will list the utility conflicts by station and offset from the centerline and
place the subsurface utility locations on the cross sections. The Utilities Office will work with
any impacted utility companies to implement the utility coordination process. See Section 5.1
for a discussion on Utility Agreements.

Railroad coordination must occur as early as practical in the project development process. See
Chapter 2. The Project Manager should implement railroad coordination through the Utilities
Office. The Utilities Office will work with both the Road Design Group and the Bridge Design
Team, and other Department Units, as necessary to incorporate the railroad requirements and
criteria that are acceptable to all parties.

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4.3 EXTERNAL AGENCIES

In general, the Project Manager is responsible for coordinating with all agencies external to
SCDOT. This Section discusses the typical coordination activities between the Project Manager
and selected major units external to SCDOT.

4.3.1 Federal Agencies

4.3.1.1 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

FHWA administers the Federal-aid program, which funds eligible highway improvements
nationwide. Its basic responsibility is to ensure that the State DOTs comply with all applicable
Federal laws in their expenditure of Federal funds and to ensure that the State DOTs meet the
applicable engineering requirements for their proposed highway projects. FHWA maintains a
Division Office within each State, and this Office is the primary point of contact for a State
DOT.

4.3.1.2 United States Forest Service (USFS)

USFS is responsible for the management of all national forests. If a proposed bridge
replacement project will impact a national forest, the Project Manager must coordinate the
project development with USFS. USFS will, for example, be invited to any field reviews and
receive copies of major project reports (e.g., Project Planning Report). In some cases, project
actions will require USFS approval (e.g., right-of-way acquisition).

4.3.1.3 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Coordination may be necessary with FAA when projects are located in the vicinity of airports.
The anticipated development of the airport and existing traffic patterns that involve the airport
should be considered during the design process.

4.3.1.4 National Park Service (NPS)

Coordination with NPS will be necessary where highway projects are in the vicinity of land
under the jurisdiction of NPS. The coordination on these projects will be similar to that between
SCDOT and USFS.

4.3.1.5 US Coast Guard (USCG) Homeland Security Command Center

The Project Manager is responsible for notifying the USCG Homeland Security Command
Center when planning to visit a bridge located over navigable waters of the United States.

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4.3.1.6 US Geological Survey (USGS)

The Project Manager and the Hydraulic Engineering Section will coordinate with USGS on the
resetting of survey markers and gage stations.

4.3.2 State Government

4.3.2.1 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)

Where a project involves a boat ramp, the Project Manager is responsible for coordinating with
SCDNR.

4.3.2.2 South Carolina Office of Coastal Resource Management (OCRM)

The Project Manager, in conjunction with the Environmental Management Office, will
coordinate with OCRM for projects located in coastal counties.

4.3.3 Local Government

4.3.3.1 City and County Government

The following describes the coordination between the Project Manager and city and county
government agencies:

1. Design. The Project Manager is responsible for soliciting input from the city and county
government on projects in that locality and, in general, keeping the local government up-
to-date on any current or planned activities. SCDOT has the exclusive authority to
establish design criteria on State roads and bridges pursuant to the South Carolina Code,
Section 57-3-110(1); however, larger municipalities may have their own design criteria,
which may be considered during the design process. The Project Manager will keep the
Bridge Design Team and Road Design Group apprised of all local requirements.

2. Coordination. The Project Manager typically invites the local government to any public
meetings.

3. Assistance. The Project Manager provides technical assistance to city and county
governments upon request and responds to any verbal or written inquiries.

4.3.3.2 Local Planning Agencies

All local governments conduct planning activities (e.g., land use, zoning). The Department
coordinates with the local planning agencies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and
Councils of Government (COG) to ensure that the projects are consistent with local planning

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activities. Figure 4.3-1 provides a list of MPOs in South Carolina. Figure 4.3-2 provides a list of
the COGs in South Carolina.

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Abbreviation Full Name

ANATS Anderson Area Transportation Study

ARTS Aiken/North Augusta Area Transportation Study
CHATS Charleston Area Transportation Study
COATS Columbia Area Transportation Study
FLATS Florence Area Transportation Study
GRATS Greenville Area Transportation Study
GSATS Grand Strand Area Transportation Study
RFATS Rock Hill/Fort Mill Area Transportation Study
SPATS Spartanburg Area Transportation Study
SUATS Sumter Area Transportation Study

METROPOLITIAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS (MPO)

Figure 4.3-1

Name Location
South Carolina Appalachian Council of Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee,
Government Pickens, and Spartanburg Counties
Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens,
Upper Savannah Council of Government
McCormick, and Saluda Counties
Catawba Regional Council of
Chester, Lancaster, York, and Union Counties
Government
Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun,
Lower Savannah Council of Government
and Orangeburg Counties
Santee-Lynches Council of Government Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, and Sumter Counties
Pee Dee Regional Council of Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence,
Government Marion, and Marlboro Counties
Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, and Richland
Central Midlands Council of Government
Counties
Waccamaw Regional Planning and
Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg Counties
Development Council
Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council
Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties
of Government
Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper
Lowcountry Council of Government
Counties

COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENT (COG)

Figure 4.3-2

April 2006 4-15

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual COORDINATION OF BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS

4-16 April 2006