Construction & Materials
Advancing e-Construction: Inside PennDOT’s Project Delivery Collaboration Center
The State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) facilitates the rapid implementation of proven, well-researched and documented state, regional, national and international transportation innovations that are new to Pennsylvania. The STIC also supports and promotes the implementation of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Every Day Counts (EDC) innovations.
As digital transportation technologies rapidly evolve and advance, PennDOT continues to refine and enhance its project delivery processes to meet the demands of an increasingly digital environment.
Several initiatives, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Every Day Counts Round 3 (EDC-3) and Round 4 (EDC-4) e-Construction innovation, the Round 6 (EDC-6) e-Ticketing and Digital As-Builts innovation, and PennDOT's 3D2025 Digital Delivery Directive, focus on the transition to a paperless environment, and PennDOT is committed to staying at the forefront of e-Construction.
While transportation projects have traditionally relied on paper plans, separate software systems, and long email chains, digital transportation technologies provide the opportunity to connect and align design and construction teams using modern, digital tools to improve safety, accuracy, and efficiency.
As part of this effort, PennDOT continues the build-out of its Project Delivery Collaboration Center (PDCC). The PDCC is a shared digital workspace that allows project teams to store files, review plans, complete forms, track schedules, and communicate in one place. It is built in the Autodesk Construction Cloud, which acts as the main platform while still connecting to other PennDOT systems.
The Project Delivery Collaboration Center is a shared digital workspace that allows project teams to collaborate and communicate on projects.
Digital transportation technologies provide the opportunity to connect and align design and construction teams using modern, digital tools to improve safety, accuracy, and efficiency.
The goal is to implement a solution that helps manage the roadway and bridge design process with a focus on the need for collaboration across all project stakeholders, not just internal to PennDOT, and ensure interoperability among several PennDOT systems. This helps everyone, from designers to construction inspectors, access the same information at the same time.
"The entire premise of the solution is collaboration, hence the name Project Delivery Collaboration Center," said PennDOT Chief Engineer Kelly Barber, P.E. "We want to streamline and improve how we can communicate and collaborate on our projects together."
While the PDCC has been used on design projects internally since 2024, PennDOT was able to further expand access and include consultant design projects starting in June 2025. Training was a major part of the rollout, with both virtual and in-person sessions offered across all PennDOT engineering districts.
The ability to access the PDCC on various devices, including laptops and tablets while in the field, has been particularly beneficial. Construction teams can now access digital plan sheets, schedules, milestones, photos, forms, and punch lists directly on tablets. Inspectors can mark up plans, submit forms, and share photos in real time. Everything is saved with dates, locations, and signatures, creating a clear project record.
“At first, some staff were unsure about switching to a digital software from paper,” said Tommy Heitzman, a project manager with JMT. “But with training and time, acceptance grew. One inspector with more than 40 years of experience said he would never return to paper plans.”
Moving forward, PennDOT is looking at opportunities to further increase capabilities and usage of the PDCC. In 2026, PennDOT plans to expand access to construction projects, as well as explore potential use for Right-of-Way processes. In addition, PennDOT is looking at several GIS applications to tie into the PDCC, including Voyager, which would allow users to access past project data in PennDOT’s record retention system based on GIS information and ArcGIS GeoBIM, which would allow users to bring in 3D model CAD files into the PDCC to allow for better communication between all areas. Future improvements also include integrations with PennDOT’s contract management system and the cost management module, to better track cost estimates over the length of the project.
“The PDCC is a collaborative effort from design all the way through to construction,” said Barber. "It represents a shift in how PennDOT delivers projects. By improving collaboration and access to information, the department is building a smarter, more connected way to move projects from design to construction.”
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