Coquihalla Highway Reinstatement from 2021 Atmospheric River Event Using the Alliance Project Delivery Model

The Coquihalla Highway Reinstatement Project was initiated in response to severe damage caused by an atmospheric river event in November 2021. The recovery phase, employing the Alliance project delivery model, involved the Coquihalla Alliance Team (C.A.T.5), a collaboration between the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and KEA5 Partnership (Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, and Emil Anderson Construction). The Alliance model's flexibility facilitated collaborative decision-making, reducing risks, and enhancing owner and contractor involvement in all aspects of the Project. Key objectives included building climate-resilient infrastructure and restoring six bridges to four open lanes by the one-year anniversary in 2022, with all permanent construction (six new permanent bridge structures) completed by 2023. The paper details the owner’s perspective on the project management framework in an Alliance contract and the strategies used on the project to expedite project delivery, such as concurrent design and construction, integrated owner review and approval, extended work schedules and work during weather restricted periods, overcoming challenges of limited material supply and long lead times. Despite technical hurdles, the collaborative approach and flexibility in decision-making led to the project's completion ahead of schedule, with all permanent bridge structures finished by November 15, 2023. The paper will outline the project management framework, risk/reward and compensation structure as well as lessons learned for future Alliance projects. The paper underscores the importance of collaboration, resilience, and effective project management in overcoming adversity, offering valuable insights into an alternate infrastructure project delivery approach.