Innovative transportation projects; department to establish program.

(1) The department may establish a program for transportation projects demonstrating innovative techniques of highway and bridge design, construction, maintenance, and finance which have the intended effect of measuring resiliency and structural integrity and controlling time and cost increases on construction projects. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to, state-of-the-art technology for pavement, safety, and other aspects of highway and bridge design, construction, and maintenance; innovative bidding and financing techniques; accelerated construction procedures; and those techniques that have the potential to reduce project life-cycle costs. To the maximum extent practical, the department must use the existing process to award and administer construction and maintenance contracts. When specific innovative techniques are to be used, the department is not required to adhere to those provisions of law that would prevent, preclude, or in any way prohibit the department from using the innovative technique. However, before using an innovative technique that is inconsistent with another provision of law, the department must document in writing the need for the exception and identify what benefits the traveling public and the affected community are anticipated to receive. The department may enter into no more than $200 million in contracts awarded annually for the purposes authorized by this section.

(2) The annual cap on contracts provided in subsection (1) does not apply to turnpike enterprise projects.