END RESULT IS JUST THE BEGINNING

In an initiative known as DC Streets, the District of Columbia Department of Public Works has contracted with VMS Incorporated to preserve and maintain approximately 75 mi of the major streets and highways in the District for the next 5 years. The $70-million contract calls for performance-based work in which a desired outcome is specified rather than a material or method. The new contract also reflects the concept known as asset management, which emphasizes the preservation, upgrading, and timely replacement of highway assets through cost-effective planning and resource allocation decisions. The project is the first urban, performance-based asset preservation effort of its kind in the United States. The contract will cover the maintenance and rehabilitation of 344-lane miles of pavement and 188 bridges, as well as the upkeep of such assets as tunnels, roadside features (including curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and retaining walls), safety devices (including signs, guardrails, pavement markings, and lighting), and pedestrian bridges. Starting in the winter of 2001/2002, snow and ice control also will be included.