Infra Insight Blog

Last week the National Governors Association strongly urged key Senators to stand with them against new restrictions on public private partnerships and tolling in the House T&I Committee’s draft surface transportation bill. In their letter to chairs and ranking members of the Senate Environment and Public Works, Finance, and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, the NGA highlighted the efforts of state and local governments to pursue innovative financing options to complement traditional sources, and asked the Senate to omit the proposals from the Senate’s ...

The Port of Long Beach, one of the largest and busiest Ports in the world and a major inter-modal center for the cargo movement throughout the Western United States and beyond, has reached a major milestone in the approximately $1B plan to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge on a design-build basis using the authority granted by California’s design-build demonstration program. As the first cable-stayed bridge ever built in California, the project is expected to be a landmark structure for the Port and surrounding communities.

On September 30, the Long Beach City Council approved the ...

The Mineta San José International Airport Terminal Area Improvement Program was selected as the Best Overall Top Project and as the best Transportation Project in Northern California for 2010 by California Construction magazine during its annual statewide competition that recognizes construction and design excellence.  The project represents the first major airport design-build project in California and includes design and construction of a new terminal, access and roadway improvements, parking facilities, tenant relocations, demolition of existing facilities, and ...

On August 30 the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to three teams vying for the Foothill Extension Phase 2A light rail alignment work. The design-build-finance project includes 11.5 miles of new track, a 25+ acre light rail maintenance facility, six stations in five cities, and multiple bridges along with the needed utilities and crossing systems. Phase 2A is anticipated to generate 7,000 jobs and $1 billion of economic output for the region during construction and will be the first Measure R rail project to break ground ...

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)'s commitment to public-private partnerships can be seen in the new opening for a Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA) Program officer. This position is part of the new Administration's efforts to re-invigorate the PPTA program by developing a comprehensive, programmatic approach to its public-private partnerships procurement process.

As described in the full job description, this position will focus on providing "multi-modal solutions to Virginia's transportation challenges by providing strategic leadership for ...

Producing ground breaking advancements in transportation infrastructure is not without its challenges, highlighting the importance of celebrating each success. Today our client, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the organization’s Executive Director, Amadeo Saenz, are being recognized for their paradigm shifting approach to building roads.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is holding their 22nd Annual Public Private Partnerships in Transportation Conference in the nation’s capital. In what is being called a sweep ...

Indicative of the progress and forward momentum of the project, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is hiring.  The executive management team is expanding as the project makes advancements such as the recent award of $2.25 billion in federal grants.  With newly appointed CEO Roelof Van Ark at the helm, the Authority is seeking a Regional Director for Southern California to add to the team.

As described in the full position dossier, The Regional Director is responsible for ensuring the high-speed train project in Southern California continues forward on the planned schedule and ...

Following extensive industry review of the draft Request for Proposals, on Friday, July 9, 2010, the California Department of Transportation, in coordination with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, issued the final Request for Proposals for the Presidio Parkway Project. According to the latest procurement schedule in the Request for Proposals, technical proposals are due on September 10, 2010, and financial proposals are due on September 24, 2010.

The Presidio Parkway Project is the first public-private partnership procurement under California's new ...

On July 1 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued two Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) for high-speed and intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) development.

The NOFA for service development programs,  published at 75 Fed. Reg. 38,344 (PDF), outlines selection criteria and application procedures for $2.1 billion in FY 2010 HSIPR funds.  A second NOFA addressing $245 million available for individual construction projects within a corridor, was published at 75 Fed. Reg. 38,365 (PDF).

Applications pursuant to these NOFAs are due to FRA by August 6. Grant awards are expected to be announced by September 30.

The NOFAs both indicate that FRA is preparing draft guidance to establish a long-term framework for the HSIPR program. This forthcoming guidance does not apply to the $2.3 billion in FY 2010 HSIPR funding but is intended to provide further clarification about future project development processes (from planning and design through construction and operation), and technical assistance for successful project development and delivery. FRA has stated that outreach on proposed new guidance will begin this fall.

On June 22, 2010 the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-635 project became the first U.S. highway public-private partnership (P3) to achieve financial close in 2010. LBJ Infrastructure Group - a Cintra-led consortium - will build, finance, maintain and operate a 17-mile corridor which includes managed lanes in the congested Dallas-Fort Worth area. This project along with the North Tarrant Express (NTE), one of three U.S. transportation P3s to close in 2009, are nationally significant for advancing the use of managed lanes to address congestion.

The projects are notable ...