Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Project Delivery Risk Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Caltrans outlines portfolio 'rightsizing' and risk controls after delivery pressure in FY24–25
Summary
Caltrans told the California Transportation Commission it delivered more work this year than in recent years but faced schedule, permitting and utility delays that forced reprogramming and time‑extension requests. Acting division chief Sujaya Kalainesen said a portfolio 'rightsizing' effort reallocates projects across current and future fiscal
Caltrans briefed the California Transportation Commission on delivery performance, risks and program adjustments for fiscal 2024–25, describing a portfolio “rightsizing” effort to manage schedule and cost uncertainty.
Sujaya Kalainesen, acting division chief for project management, told commissioners the department planned 250 project deliveries for the year and had completed 93 by the April update, with another 109 still active. She said 48 projects were pushed into future years because of high schedule risk, and some projects will require commission approval for allocation time extensions.
Kalainesen explained the causes: escalating project complexity and size, longer permitting timelines, utility relocations, right‑of‑way appraisal shortages and emergency work demands that diverted resources. She said average project size in the portfolio increased from approximately $10 million to about $22 million, and Caltrans has delivered roughly $700 million more through the first three quarters compared with recent years.
The department described a set of mitigation measures: increased training for new project staff, recurring best‑practice workshops, earlier and more structured permit agency engagement (including an interagency permitting task force under Assembly Bill 1282), greater use of concurrent processes where legally possible, more purposeful grouping of appraisal work and use of outside appraisers to supplement capacity.
Caltrans also said it will push more timely programming changes and time‑extension requests to the commission when schedule risk is confirmed; in some cases the department will reprogram projects into later years when delivery windows cannot be met.
Commissioners asked for continued tracking of outcomes and data to measure whether the new practices reduce slippage; Caltrans said it will expand risk tracking, monitor delivery results and provide updates on the efficacy of the mitigations. The item was informational and no formal action was taken.
