In April 2005, the MNP received Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) approval, but part of that decision required the project to reach out to the municipalities along the overhead construction path for additional input regarding the 345-kV overhead line design. CL&P was required to readdress public concerns, modify designs accordingly and submit detailed construction plans for CSC approval. This process lengthened the design phase and, under another project delivery method, could have delayed the overall schedule and increased costs. Since program management emphasizes overall project completion, not individual components, other aspects moved forward while the additional design issues were being addressed. The first in a series of CSC overhead construction plan approvals came in late 2005, and the last one was approved in late summer 2006.

Successful program management is as much about managing overall project risk as it is about managing schedules and costs. Program management fits well with CL&P's development risk management program, allowing characterization and mitigations of risks associated with committing to a $1 billion construction project. During early negotiations with CL&P, the utility requested that a portion of the program manager's professional fee be placed at risk, based on a combination of project drivers such as schedule, budget, and safety and community relations. CL&P matched the at-risk fees in an escrow account set up to provide incentive for high performance.

Avoiding all risk is impossible, but program management attempts to limit unknowns. A risk matrix identified the most complex part of the MNP as the underground construction, much of which will run directly beneath U.S. Route 1, a four-lane divided highway that is a major commercial artery and crosses several major bodies of water in southwest Connecticut. Installation of the underground cable will require, at a minimum, the excavation of a 4-ft-wide by 8-ft-deep (1.2-m by 2.4-m) trench for duct-bank placement.

The complexity of underground construction is due in part to the amount of subsurface rock that must be removed. When the project is in full swing, standby costs for excavation crews are expected to run tens of thousands per day, translating into millions of dollars in additional construction costs should the project encounter significant rock or unexpected subsurface utilities. To mitigate this risk, extensive geotechnical investigations assessed subsurface conditions. Preconstruction testing allowed better assessment of costs and possible delays. The prime civil contractor is providing upfront comments on design alternatives and risk forecasting, to make sure there are no surprises during construction.

Owners reap several benefits from program management on large, complex capital projects. They maintain control over the design, budget and construction processes while relying on the program manager for overall execution. The owner is freed from the requirements of hiring additional staff.

Flexibility is inherent in the process, from inception through completion. A sudden change of scope or project approach is accommodated by the methodology. An owner locked into a lump-sum EPC contract, where scope schedule and price are fixed, faces difficulties implementing changes. Program managers work with owners and have a portion of their fee at risk, motivating them to work in the owner's best interest.

CL&P recently selected Burns & McDonnell to provide the program management of a related effort, the Glenbrook Cables Project, which consists of constructing 9 miles (14 km) of 115-kV underground transmission to connect the Glenbrook and Norwalk substations in Connecticut.

Anne Bartosewicz is a project director for Northeast Utilities, where she is responsible for the Middletown to Norwalk Transmission Project. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Hartford. Bartosewicz is a certified project manager. bartoab@nu.com

Jim Hogan is the director of engineering for the Burns & McDonnell Transmission & Distribution Group. At the completion of the siting process for the Middletown to Norwalk Project in 2005, Hogan assumed the role of engineering manager and assistant program manager in the Kansas City office. Hogan is a professional engineer and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia. jhogan@burnsmcd.com

J. Brett Williams, a program manager for Burns & McDonnell, has worked on major-scale design-build and program management projects for the past 16 years. His expertise is in project scope development, design management and construction management from project inception through closeout. Williams holds a bachelor's degree in construction engineering technology from Pittsburg State University and a master's degree in construction science from the University of Oklahoma. jbwilliams@burnsmcd.com

• 45 miles (72 km) of new overhead 345-kV line
• 24 miles (38 km) of new underground 345-kV line
• 56 miles (90 km) of reconstructed overhead 115-kV line
• 1 mile (2 km) of new underground 115-kV line
• 2 new substations
• 1 new switching station
• 1 upgraded substation
• 1 upgraded switching station
• 18 Connecticut municipalities along route:
  Middletown
  Cheshire
  Milford
  Haddam
  Hamden
  Stratford
  Durham
  Bethany
  Bridgeport
  Middlefield
  Woodbridge
  Fairfield
  Meriden
  Orange
  Westport
  Wallingford
  West Haven
  Norwalk

Note: United Illuminating Co. (New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.) is a 20% partner with CL&P on this project and will own 6.5 miles (10 km) of the underground 345-kV line and one of the new substations.