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The Urban Economics and Regional Politics of the Freeway Removal Project

Highway removal projects are nothing new, at least in concept. The movement to tear down urban highways emerged in the early 1960s, around the same time, and often from the same corners, as the anti-highway-development movement. In more recent decades, many cities have flirted with the idea of highway removal. And some have pulled it […]

First Segment Opens for I-66 Outside the Beltway

“We are now transforming the most congested area, the most congested road in the United States of America,” said then-Governor Terry McAuliffe at the November 2017 groundbreaking of I-66 Outside the Beltway.

Chicago Skyway Stake Acquired by Atlas Arteria for $2 Billion

A two-thirds stake of the Chicago Skyway toll bridge was acquired for $2.01 billion this month by Atlas Arteria, a publicly listed toll road operator from Australia. The deal came after two of the three Canadian pension funds that previously owned the Skyway concession, the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and the Ontario Municipal […]

Design Builder Selected for Maryland OP Lanes Project

The Maryland OP Lanes initiative took a major step towards commercial close in September. After a competitive solicitation, Tutor Perini was selected to be the design and construction contractor for Phase 1 South, the first major construction element of the initiative. The selection was announced this month after a competitive solicitation by Accelerate Maryland Partners […]

Puerto Rico Toll Road Concession goes to RFQ

Puerto Rico’s Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) is wasting no time moving forward with their proposed concession to lease a portfolio of four operating toll roads. Responses to the RFQ are due on September 19th.

Maryland OP Lanes Completes Federal Permitting

After more than four years of study and approximately 53,500 pages of environmental documentation, the federal environmental permit for the Maryland OP Lanes project has finally been approved. On August 25th, the Department of Transportation published a Record of Decision (ROD) for the project, thus formally completing the permitting process under the National Environmental Protection […]

Laguardia Terminal B Arrives on Time

The final components of the LaGuardia Terminal B redevelopment project became operational in late July, ending development work for the $4 billion airport P3 – one of the largest P3s in US history. The final components consisted of two gates and a portion of the terminal’s taxiway, which needed to be finished after the demolition […]

After Cancelled P3, Mobile River Bridges Cost Estimate Soars

Inflation is soaring in all things construction, and in public works in particular. Inflationary tailwinds will only increase as federal funding from the BIL begins to roll out and public sponsors work to take advantage of its many opportunities, including the more than $2.2 billion in RAISE grants that were awarded last month.

New Ruling, New Law and No Tolls for PennDoT Major Bridge Program

It has been a challenging month for PennDoT’s Major Bridge Program. The P3 program itself is still alive and in predevelopment, but the tolls that would have funded the replacement and rehabilitation of nine major bridges across Pennsylvania are now off the table.