Infra Insight Blog

Contractors and investors in P3s can continue taking a full tax deduction for interest on debt under recent IRS guidance (Revenue Procedure 2018-59, issued November 26). Many P3s are highly leveraged, and the interest deduction is a valuable tax benefit for developers. Were this deduction restricted, P3 developers’ (and by extension governments’) costs would rise; potential investors would demand higher rates of return; and infrastructure projects would be more costly.  Without this guidance, the 2017  tax law would otherwise severely restrict the interest deduction for ...

In an effort to promote project flexibility, funding innovation, efficiencies and timely implementation, this week the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released its final rule regarding P3s (and other private involvement) in public transportation projects.

The primary goal of FTA’s Private Investment Project Procedures (or PIPP), new 49 C.F.R. Part 650, is to identify and address FTA requirements that are impediments to the greater use of public-private partnerships and private investment in public transportation capital projects, while protecting the public ...

President Trump recently appointed former Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Seyfarth) attorney Juan D. Reyes, III as Chief Counsel of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).  Mr. Reyes was previously a partner in the real estate department of the New York City office of Seyfarth and he led the firm’s P3 practice.  Proponents of P3s may be pleased to have a Chief Counsel that understands the potential benefits of P3s.

The appointment of Mr. Reyes marks a continuation from the Obama Administration of appointing counsel with P3 experience.  President Obama’s first FRA Chief Counsel, Karen ...

North Carolina, acting through the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), reached a major milestone on May 20, 2015 when financial close was achieved on the I-77 Express Lanes Project – the first highway public-private partnership in the state.  The project, with a design and construction cost estimated at approximately $591 million, will add 26 miles of tolled, express lanes along the existing I-77 corridor in the Charlotte region.  The financing package includes $100 million of private activity bonds and a $189 million TIFIA loan from the U.S. Department of ...

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced that it will hold its annual Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Conference on July 15-17, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Washington in Washington, DC.  This year’s conference, entitled P3s in Transition: The Next Chapter, will again feature a P3 owners-only meeting and interactive sessions, including the continuation of the Great Debate series exploring whether unsolicited proposals add value to P3s.

ARTBA’s annual conference is the nation’s premier and longest-standing event for ...

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced today that it has selected I-4 Mobility Partners as the apparent best value proposer to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the I-4 Ultimate project.  The I-4 Ultimate project contemplates a 40-year availability payment contract at a total design and construction cost of $2,323,000,000.00 in year of expenditure dollars.  This cost is approximately $860 million less than the highest proposal received by FDOT at $3,180,033,233.90 in year of expenditure dollars.  Commercial and financial close is expected ...

On Tuesday, April 8th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Panel on Public-Private Partnerships held a hearing on "The International Experience with Public-Private Partnerships".  The Panel focused in particular on the Canadian experience, observing that over the past two decades Canada has become one of the most advanced and active markets for P3s. The witness list and links to their testimony are as follows:

The Honorable John Delaney, United States Representative, Maryland

Dr. Larry Blain, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Partnerships British Columbia | Written Testimony

Mr. David Morley, Vice President, Business and Government Strategy, Infrastructure Ontario | Written Testimony

Cherian George, Managing Director – Americas, Global Infrastructure & Project Finance, Fitch Ratings | Written Testimony

Dr. Matti Siemiatycki, Associate Professor, Program in Planning, University of Toronto | Written Testimony

Congressman John Delaney began by describing the magnitude of the nation’s infrastructure deficit.  Referring to an estimate made by the American Society for Civil Engineers, he explained that close to $4 trillion needs to be invested to bring infrastructure in the US up to world class standards.  As governments are cash strapped, he advocated that private sector capital be engaged to increase investment in infrastructure to fill the gap, and he noted the importance of smart P3 frameworks to meet this infrastructure challenge.  Congressman Delaney referred to The Partnerships to Build America Act (H.R. 2084), which he introduced to the House on May 2013.  He explained that The Partnerships to Build America Act would provide for the financing of state and local government transportation, energy, communications, water, and education infrastructure projects through the creation of an infrastructure fund.

The Panel did not put questions to Congressman Delaney, leaving that for the House. The Panel did, however, engage in a lively discussion with the remaining witnesses about the Canadian experience with P3s and explored the suitability of the Canadian approach for infrastructure projects in the US.

Witnesses outlined various factors that have resulted in successful P3 projects in Canada.  The creation of specialized provincial agencies staffed with experts skilled with both evaluating projects for P3 delivery and negotiating with the private sector was noted as a significant factor contributing to successful P3 deals. Further, the development by these agencies of consistent and predictable procurement processes and standardized documentation has facilitated the delivery of P3 projects and encouraged the development of the P3 market in Canada.

Mr. George of Fitch Ratings, discussing P3s from a global perspective, pointed out that P3s can provide public value, but these transactions need to be appropriately designed and carefully crafted to address all stakeholder concerns.  He indicated that projects that have a defined scope where performance can be measured are better suited to P3 delivery.  He noted that lessons can be learned from past P3 projects undertaken around the world.  He spoke to a few examples including the 407 toll road in Ontario and Chicago’s Skyway toll concessions, each of which came under considerable criticism and involved legal disputes.

Witnesses pointed out that in Canada P3s are not typically used to raise new money to pay for infrastructure through user fees or tolls.  Instead, P3s are viewed in Canada as a way to finance a project using private capital that is repaid overtime by the government through availability payments.  Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) indicated that while P3s are not viewed as a funding solution in Canada, P3s are being considered for that purpose in the US.

On March 26, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) celebrated the grand opening of the $1.2 billion I-595 Express Corridor Improvements Project (Project) in Broward County, Florida.  The Project is the nation’s first Availability Payment public-private partnership and the first public-private highway deal in Florida.

The Project consists of the reconstruction of the I-595 mainline from the I-75/Sawgrass Expressway interchange to the I-595/I-95 interchange on I-595 and from Peters Road to Griffin Road on Florida's Turnpike, for a total project length of 13 miles ...

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced yesterday that it received four financial proposals in response to a Request for Proposals issued by FDOT on October 11, 2013 for the I-4 Ultimate Project. On June 5, 2013, FDOT announced a shortlist of four proposers, all of whom submitted financial proposals yesterday and technical proposals on February 12, 2014 seeking the contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project.

The estimated $2 billion project, which will be developed through a public-private partnership concession agreement, includes ...

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced yesterday that it has received four Technical Proposals in response to its Request for Proposals for the I-4 Ultimate Project. On June 5, 2013, FDOT announced a shortlist of four proposers, all of whom submitted proposals seeking the contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project.

The estimated $2 billion project, which will be developed through a public-private partnership concession agreement, includes the reconstruction of 21 miles of I-4 in the metro Orlando area. The project adds four tolled ...

Yesterday the Arizona Department of Transportation issued to the P3 and design-build industry a Request for Information for the South Mountain Freeway project. ADOT is seeking perspective and feedback from lead developers, design-build contractors, maintenance contractors, and equity investors on a list of questions, and is providing an opportunity for industry input on the overall procurement process for the project.

Responses are requested by February 25. ADOT will convene and open industry forum on the project at the ADOT auditorium on February 27, and the industry has ...

Victor Mendez, Acting Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, participated this morning in a Bloomberg Government panel entitled America on the Move: Investing in U.S. Infrastructure. In a wide-ranging discussion, he addressed the issue of long-term funding for U.S. infrastructure.

He commented that there is a need for many funding options and we need the private sector in the mix. The TIFIA program has been successful, financing 40 or so projects so far with the private sector, many of them toll roads.  Some of the projects are very long term, up to 50 years.

Mendez ...

On January 8, 2014, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration announced that four teams were short-listed to submit proposals to design, build, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Purple Line Project through a public-private partnership (P3). The estimated $2.2 billion Purple Line Project is 16.2 mile light rail transit line that extends from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County, connecting major activity centers inside the Capital Beltway. The four teams, representing a combination of ...

Recognizing the innovative P3 approach to project delivery and financial structure for a major US infrastructure project, the Bond Buyer awarded the Indiana Finance Authority's private activity bonds for the East End Crossing the Deal of the Year Award at its annual event held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.  Notably, this is the first P3 transaction to win the award.

The $1.2B East End Crossing, a portion of the $2.6B Ohio River Bridges project, one of the largest transportation undertakings in the U.S. and the first availability payment P3 for the Indiana Finance ...

The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) issued its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an availability payments public private partnership for the financing, building and operating of the Indiana portion of the Illiana Corridor Project (the Indiana Portion) and I-65 Added Capacity Project (I-65 Project and collectively with the Indiana Portion, the Project) on November 12.  The Illiana Corridor Project is a collaborative effort among the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Indiana Department of Transportation, and IFA to construct a highway, approximately 46.8 ...

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA) have entered into a concession agreement under which ICA will operate and maintain ADOT’s 14 highway rest areas.  The concession agreement is the first agreement ADOT has executed under its public-private partnership (P3) statute, which has been in place since 2009, and is one of several P3 opportunities ADOT is pursuing.

ADOT’s concession agreement with ICA went into effect on October 1st and has an initial term of five years.  ADOT may, at its discretion, extend the term of the ...

Before departing Washington, DC for the traditional August Congressional recess, Congressmen Mike Rogers (R-AL-3) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) announced that they are forming the Congressional Caucus on Public-Private Partnerships, or the Congressional P3 Caucus.  In the press release announcing the caucus, Rogers says that he hopes the group will help raise awareness of infrastructure issues and examine public-private partnerships across the country.  Congressional caucuses are formed by Members seeking to work collectively on issues, usually with the goal of increasing ...

Earlier this year the SHRP 2 Program and the Transportation Research Board issued a report entitled The Effect of Public-Private Partnerships and Non-Traditional Procurement Processes on Highway Planning, Environmental Review and Collaborative Decision Making, which is available on the TRB website.

Public-private partnerships (P3s) have become an important tool in developing and financing infrastructure improvements, and are being used by transportation agencies across the nation.  One issue faced by agencies wishing to explore the use of P3s concerns how P3 strategies ...

Last week the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) conducted a two-day industry workshop at the Golden Nugget Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for Project Neon, a freeway improvement project on the west side of Las Vegas. More than 200 attendees, including major international developers and local contracting firms, learned about NDOT’s plans to procure the first phase of the project (the P3 Phase) under an availability payment approach where the winning bidder would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project for approximately a 35-year term. This ...

On July 26, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) held its awards dinner for the 25th Annual P3s in Transportation Conference.   Each year during this dinner, the ARTBA P3 Division honors projects that exemplify the value of P3s in the United States and also recognizes two individuals, one public sector and one private sector, for their exemplary contributions to the development, growth and public education of P3s.  

This year, the Ohio River Bridges – East End Crossing and its public and private participants swept the awards dinner.  The project won Project ...

On July 23, the Georgia State Transportation Board (STB) voted to accept the selection of Northwest Express Roadbuilders (NWER) as the apparent best value proposer for the $840 million Northwest Corridor managed lanes P3 project located in Cobb and Cherokee Counties.  The project is the largest transportation infrastructure project in the history of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).  It includes two reversible tolled managed lanes along the west side of I-75 between its interchanges with I-285 and I-575.  Also, above the I-575 interchange, one reversible tolled ...

After achieving several P3 project milestones and awards in 2012, Virginia’s Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3) on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia released a draft document entitled 2013 Virginia PPTA Project Pipeline for public comment.  The document identified the following 10 projects as potential P3 projects to be procured under Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act:

• I-66 Corridor Improvements
• Air Rights Development
• I-64 HOV to HOT Lane Conversion
• I-64 Peninsula Improvements
• Hampton Roads Crossing Improvements
• I-73 ...

On June 27th, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that gives counties, municipalities, school boards and other political subdivisions in the Sunshine State authority to enter into public-private partnership (P3) agreements for facilities that serve a public purpose.  The bill - HB 85 - authorizes P3s for a wide range of facilities, including education facilities, transportation facilities, water / wastewater facilities, roads, highways and bridges, healthcare facilities and sporting or cultural facilities.  The bill does not cover the Florida Department of ...

As we previously reported in April, organizations that annually recognize top projects and industry organizations worldwide have proven that they are no longer focusing solely on mega-projects that are part of major design-build contracts.  This was apparent at the Partnerships Awards hosted by Partnerships Bulletin and PPP Bulletin International on May 23, 2013, where numerous US agencies and projects received recognition.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships received the distinction of Best Central/Regional ...

On May 1, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will hold an industry forum to present initial concepts for several multimodal P3 projects that are being considered for the Sepulveda Pass Corridor in Los Angeles County.  The forum will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Ticket Room at Los Angeles Union Station.  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, and Art Leahy, Metro's CEO, are expected to address the forum attendees.

The projects under consideration include a high-capacity rail system and a tolled ...

Nossaman would like to congratulate the California Department of Transportation and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority for the Presidio Parkway Project's recognition as the "Best Real Estate Deal of the Year" in the category of Infrastructure/Public-Private Partnership by the San Francisco Business Times.  Winners were announced at the publication's annual awards dinner in San Francisco on March 20, 2013.

This recognition is the latest in a number of industry awards honoring the Presidio Parkway Project, which is the first transportation project to be procured ...

As the 2013 award season heats up for 2012 successes around the world, the juries are increasingly finding the US market hard to ignore. Infrastructure Journal and PPP Bulletin International, the two London-based media organizations that annually recognize top projects and industry organizations worldwide, have each announced their finalists for this year's best transportation transactions and firms. Focusing on public-private partnership projects as opposed to those mega-projects which are the subject of major design-build contracts, these organizations ...

This year, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) will be holding its 25th Annual Public-Private Partnership conference on July 24-26 in Washington, D.C.  To commemorate the silver anniversary of the conference, ARTBA has announced that a special cocktail reception and gala dinner will be held at the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the evening of July 25. 

Attendees will have exclusive access to the ARTBA-sponsored America on the Move exhibition currently on display at the museum.  The exhibition explores the role of transportation in American ...

On March 7, Project Finance Magazine held its annual Project Finance Americas Deals of the Year awards dinner in New York City.  The awards – which started 14 years ago – are for innovation, deal repeatability, best practice, problem solving, value for money and speed of delivery in the financing of infrastructure projects.  Two public-private partnership projects – one on the East coast and one on the West coast – received honors at this year’s dinner.     

The award for 2012 North America Toll Road Deal of the Year was given to the Midtown Tunnel project located in the Hampton Roads ...

As part of its effort to meet MAP-21’s legislative requirement to develop standard public-private partnership transaction model contracts for the most popular types of public-private partnerships, the Federal Highway Administration held a listening session with representatives from the transportation industry at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. on January 16.  Representatives from state departments of transportation, general contractors, trade associations, legal advisors and others were in attendance, and solicited to provide FHWA with the ...

A key element of a successful P3 program is an effective and comprehensive public outreach strategy.  Demonstrating why Virginia remains a leader in closing P3 transportation deals, the Virginia Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3) recently prepared a variety of fact sheets, presentations and FAQs focusing on different aspects of P3s in Virginia.  The materials can be found at the OTP3 website.

These materials were prepared in cooperation with the Public Private Transportation Act Working Group.  This group was established in June 2012 to solicit ideas and ...

The 20th annual conference of The Canadian Council of Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) was held in Toronto on November 26-27, 2012.  Drawing industry leaders from within and outside of Canada, the conference this year reflected the maturity of the Canadian market and the interest of P3 players looking beyond its borders for future opportunities, particularly participating in the growing U.S. P3 market. 

One of the keynote speakers was Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who championed the proposed $3.5 billion Detroit-Windsor bridge and expressed appreciation for Canada’s ...

On November 29, 2012, financial closing was achieved on a 30 year concession relating to the water and wastewater facilities of the City of Rialto, California.  The agreement, which had been executed in March 2012, is among Rialto Water Services, LLC, the single purpose vehicle set up by Table Rock Capital as the project sponsor, the City of Rialto and the Rialto Utility Authority.  

The approximately $175 million transaction is being bond financed through a private placement and an approximately $26 million equity contribution.  The concession agreement provides for approximately ...

On October 10 through 12, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) held their 24th Annual Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Conference in Washington, DC.  Each year during this conference, the ARTBA P3 Division honors two individuals, one public sector and one private sector, for their exemplary contributions to the transportation industry. 

This year we are proud to announce that Nossaman's Geoff Yarema was named "P3 Private Sector Entrepreneur of the Year."  Geoff is the first two-time recipient of this award, having received the award in ...

On October 11, Nick Nicholson, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) Infrastructure Project Management Administration, participated in a panel session at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Annual Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation Conference in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Nicholson told conference attendees that DDOT is actively looking at public-private partnerships to deliver several projects in the District of Columbia.  Although the District does not have dedicated P3 ...

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently issued guidance for implementing various aspects of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), including:  Infrastructure; Environment, Planning and Realty; Safety; Operations; and Innovative Program Delivery.  The guidance became effective October 1, 2012.

The interim guidance on Innovative Program Delivery includes provisions for implementing the new public-private partnership (P3) assessment requirement for Major Project Finance Plans under MAP-21.  The new P3 assessment requirement is, in our ...

Hot on the heels of the financial close of the Presidio Parkway, the first California transportation public-private partnership (P3) availability payment deal and only the fourth in the United States, Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Innovative Program Delivery has issued guidance regarding the eligibility of periodic availability payments for reimbursement from federal aid funds.  Federal-Aid Funding and Availability Payments

Recognizing that availability payment concessions can offer the benefits of enhanced performance and project cost savings ...

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, reached financial close on the Presidio Parkway Project public-private partnership (P3).  The $1.1 billion deal is the first transportation P3 in California under the recently enacted P3 statute, Streets and Highways Code section 143, and only the third highway project developed through an availability payment structure. 

Caltrans entered into an agreement with Golden Link Concessionaire, LLC, a consortium led by Hochtief PPP Solutions North ...

On July 9, LA Metro is hosting an Industry Outreach Workshop to accelerate PPP delivery of six highway improvement projects in Los Angeles County known as the Highway Goods Movement Package.  The workshop is being held at Metro’s Gateway Building headquarters where there will be a 2-hour presentation in the morning detailing the six projects, followed by one-on-one meetings with Metro representatives. 

You can RSVP to Metro’s Public-Private Partnership Program Manager Kathleen Sanchez at SanchezK@metro.net.  Here are the details:

Metro’s Gateway Building

One Gateway ...

On March 30, 2012, the Arizona Department of Transportation issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) soliciting statements of qualifications from prospective private and/or public entities for development and implementation of a public-private partnership (P3) for ADOT facilities on a new site to replace the current ADOT and MVD facilities located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The RFQ represents the first P3 solicitation issued by ADOT through its Office of P3 Initiatives.

The objective of the project is to relocate ADOT from its current location on Milton Road to new facilities in ...

On Feb. 15, 2012, the North Carolina Department of Transportation advertised a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the I-77 HOT Lanes Project located in the Charlotte-Mecklunberg area.  The RFQ seeks interested teams to submit their Statement of Qualifications to develop, design, build, finance, operate, and maintain HOT lanes along the I-77 corridor through a public-private partnership.  The project will involve the conversion of existing HOV lanes to HOT lanes, and the extension of HOT lanes along the I-77 corridor.

An industry forum is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2012 in Charlotte ...

On November 16, challenges to the legality of the Presidio Parkway public-private partnership (P3) contract ended with a one sentence order from the California Supreme Court: The petition for review is denied.  Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), the union representing Caltrans engineers, had asked the Supreme Court to review the Aug. 8, 2011, decision of the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco (First District), which unanimously held that Phase 2 of the Presidio Parkway project can move forward as a P3.  As a result, the California Department of ...

Yesterday the clock struck 4 p.m. in Anchorage, Alaska, the deadline for the P3 industry to submit statements of qualifications for the Knik Arm Crossing project. The public sponsor, Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA), found on its desk statements from six experienced teams. This level of interest in a U.S. P3 project has few parallels.  

Here are the six teams:

Knik Bridge Partners

CSEC Holding Company, Inc.

China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd

Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation

CCA Civil, Inc.

Finley Civil ...

On Sept. 19, 2011, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) sent a press release announcing that GDOT issued the final Request for Proposal (RFP) for the West by Northwest Project.  The RFP was provided to three short-listed proposers, comprised of several national and international developers and contractors.  Brandon Beach, P3 Committee Chair of the State Transportation Board, viewed the issuance of the RFP as further evidence that GDOT’s P3 program is vibrant and continuing to make huge strides in coordinating these mega-projects with our partner agencies.

Responses ...

We are pleased to report that AB 294--the bill that was the subject of our blog yesterday--is no longer in play.

A last-minute amendment to California Assembly Bill 294, if passed, would wreak havoc on Caltrans and local agency plans to use design-build for state highway projects (Public Contract Code section 6800 et seq.) and to enter into public-private partnerships (P3s) for highway projects (Streets and Highways Code section 143).

The language added to the bill would preclude local agencies from hiring consultants to work on the projects, stating that all work must be done through Caltrans employees or consultants under contract with Caltrans.  Project consultants are often hired well ...

On August 8, 2011, the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco published a decision holding that Phase 2 of the Presidio Parkway project can move forward as a public-private partnership (P3).  The unanimous opinion approved of and affirmed the February decision by Judge Wynne Carvill of the Alameda County Superior Court to the same effect, allowing the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) to proceed with Phase II as a P3. The decision was issued less than five months after the appeal had been taken ...

If you want to know what a mature, effective federal and state P3 policy can look like, we need not look very far beyond our U.S. borders.  Two Canadian provinces, Ontario and British Columbia, provide us a road map for building successful, sustainable P3 programs and policies.

At the International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh last month, panelists for a workshop on P3s, including Len Kozachuk with Infrastructure Ontario (IO), described the essential features of this agency and its alternative financing and procurement program.  The contrast with how our federal and state policy ...

The just ended InfraAmericas P3 conference in New York City brought together virtually every active participant, public and private, in the U.S. transportation P3 industry.  A number of public agencies showcased their plans and projects, and there was a palpable sense that opportunities to bring U.S. projects forward are growing significantly.

Perhaps the project producing the most buzz at the conference is the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority’s Knik Arm Crossing project in Alaska.  KABATA came to the conference loaded for bear (a not infrequent pastime in this bountiful ...

On February 17, 2011, Judge Wynne Carvill of the Alameda County Superior Court filed a 38 page opinion denying the efforts of Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), the union that represents Caltrans engineers, to stop Phase 2 of the Presidio Parkway project in San Francisco.  PECG sued the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)  and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), as well as the California Transportation Commission and officials of each of these agencies, seeking a halt to Phase 2, which had been awarded as a public private ...