Very often the efficient part of a project is the startup.
There are a lot of Wait States.
Some ways to launch the project forward include
Using OpenRoads ConceptStation to quickly gather high quality existing terrain, topology, utility information. ConceptStation pulls from a wealth of reliable repositories by simply drawing a fence around the project area. Design can proceed while awaiting a field survey. If you've won your bid using ConceptStation, much of that model translates directly to the OpenRoads model, saving you even more time.
Creating accurate Reality Models of the current in-situ conditions. Projects can be flown by drones and Reality Models very quickly constructed and attached as reference files. Don't want to wait for the drones? Do you have a cell phone? Are you able to walk around the project or spots of interest? ContextCapture processes cell phone photos (or "real camera" photos or videos) into real-color realistic 3D models that can be overlaid on your CAD files (here's an unofficial (perhaps even anti-official) page on DIY Reality Modeling)
We are visual. Bentley's CONNECT Edition software is built on a rich immersive 3D VISUAL Common Data Environment. ContextCapture delivers Reality Models seamlessly into this platform. Accurately and easily. Designing in a visual reality-augmented environment is transformational. It's intuitive.
Visual clarity leads directly to improved quality: you can see "challenges". Gaps, omissions, conflicts jump out at you.
Reality models can be attached as references to design files, and they can be standalone models available on the web: