Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration

Office of Construction

Office of Construction HQ 7450 Traffic Drive
Hanover, MD 21076
Building #4 - Second Floor
Toll Free # 1-866-926-8503
FAX # 410-787-0986

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) Office of Construction (OOC) is multifaceted and well-structured that's led by an experienced Director who oversees a team of three deputy directors, each responsible for distinct operational divisions.

The Deputy Director for Construction Operations manages the planning, coordination, and execution of all field-based initiatives, ensuring the efficient deployment of resources and personnel across diverse project sites, change orders and claims avoidance.

The Deputy Director for Vertical Construction is charged with overseeing the engineering and construction of the organization's vertical infrastructure, from office buildings to specialized facilities.

Complementing these two operational roles, the Deputy Director for Construction Development is tasked with maintaining the smooth administrative functioning of the entire office, handling everything from contract processing, payments to contractors, MBE goals and statewide utilities.

At the Hanover Complex, the OOC Director serves as the central conduit, aligning the efforts of the three deputies and marshaling the organization's collective capabilities to achieve its strategic objectives while reporting directly to the Deputy Chief Engineer for Program Delivery & Construction. Through this tiered leadership structure, the office leverages the specialized expertise of its senior team & divisions, while also maintaining a cohesive, organization-wide perspective that ensures all activities are coordinated and working in harmony towards common goals. The result is a highly efficient and responsive office, capable of delivering complex projects and services with a high degree of quality and effectiveness.

The Divisions within OOC include the following:


Construction Support Division

  • Coordination of technical training for construction management and inspection staff statewide.
  • Oversight of consultant construction management and inspection (CMI) contracts.
  • Oversight of consultant staff to supplement District staff to ensure proper inspection and management of all SHA construction projects.
  • Development, initiation, and promotion of partnering to improve construction project outcomes.

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Contract Award Division

  • Reviews, processes, and tracks projects from all MDOT SHA offices and projects — including Highway Design, Bridge, Traffic, Environmental, Maintenance, Special Projects, and Service Projects — from ‘Advertisement’ through ‘Notice to Proceed'.
  • Processes approximately 450 contracts a year.
  • Oversees the MBE/DBE program for all construction contracts, examining goal setting, organize meetings to set MBE/DBE goals, Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) approval and correspondence.

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Contract Payment Division

  • Process monthly progress payments on SHA construction projects for all Districts, Office of Structures, Office of Environmental Design and Office of Traffic and Safety.
  • Process all variable retainage requests to release contractor retainage according to TC 7.05. of the Maryland State Specifications.
  • Process semi-final payments for release of retainage at substantial completion of contract.
  • Process final payments for final release of retainage and contract closeout.
  • Coordinate payment activities with the Office of Finance and the Comptroller’s Office to provide timely payments to contractors.
  • Import, review and activate all newly awarded contracts into eMCMS. Prepare contracts for download into MMS.
  • Calculate BPO expiration date for newly executed contracts. Modify BPO amount and expiration date to include authorized change orders and time extensions.
  • CAS Administrator for TRNS*PORT.

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eConstruction Team

  • Implement innovative solutions & change management to increase performance metrics across the organization .
  • Apply digital tools to improve the process of delivering & operating a built environment.
  • Automation of a business process, advancements in capturing materials with the use of cloud-based services.
  • Gather data; streamline inefficiencies & challenge the status quo.
  • Focus’ on the entire project cycle from end to end, from concept through to delivery, construction operation & use and then renewal.
  • Provide a safe, efficient, more collaborative & transparent product ensuring we get a better outcome at every stage.
  • Instill communication & reduce our carbon footprint, to have more oversight on every project across the state.

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Engineering Support Division

  • Claims Review Team: Reviews and analyzes contract claims for merit, supports Office of Attorney General litigation needs, provides statewide trainings related to contract disputes and claims, reviews and analyzes standard specifications and engineering standards and makes recommendations for updates.
  • Change Order Review Team: Reviews and processes change orders, manages the contractor annual ratings database, tracks value engineering change proposals, calculates and posts the monthly steel, diesel fuel, and asphalt binder price adjustments, provides statewide training related to change orders, reviews and analyzes standard specifications and engineering standards and makes recommendations for updates.

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Regional Construction Engineers (RCEs)

  • Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Office of Construction & our Highway Construction Program.
  • Monitoring all projects from Design throughout the Construction assuring quality and uniform construction techniques meet compliance of Federal & State regulations.
  • Liaisons between Office of Construction (OOC), Districts and field inspection staff, as well as all other offices administering construction projects.
  • Establish contract recommendations & generate project inspection reports. to ensure regulations are met to standards and specifications within construction.
  • Monitor statewide operations to guarantee QA/QC for OOC consistently practices uniformity throughout the State, and in local jurisdictions.
  • Aid personnel by mentoring, coaching, and providing training sessions as needed.

Utilities Division

  • Administers the Utilities Program across MDOT SHA.
  • Accommodates utility facilities placed within the MDOT SHA right of way and coordinates utilities through project delivery.
  • Coordinates with districts, design groups, and utility personnel to provide training and technical engineering.
  • Ensures that utility relocation costs are distributed equitably.

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