RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Tamara Neale 804-786-6458

CO-4 Feb. 12, 2003

VDOT moves I-81 proposals to first stage of review

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will move proposals by Fluor Virginia, Inc. and Star Solutions to the first phase of evaluation under the Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA) process.

Last month, both firms submitted conceptual proposals under the PPTA to improve the I-81 corridor in Virginia. Following a review to make sure the two proposals met basic administrative requirements, VDOT has moved both proposals to the next step.

“VDOT is staying on a tight schedule to review the two proposals,” said VDOT Chief Engineer for Program Development Malcolm T. Kerley, P.E. “Careful and thoughtful review is critical as we determine the proposals’ benefits, risks and feasibility.”

The proposals will go before an initial review committee, which is comprised of top VDOT officials. The committee will evaluate the proposers’ qualifications, technical and engineering merit and financial feasibility. The committee will then recommend that VDOT’s commissioner either accept or reject one or both conceptual proposals. The commissioner will present his recommendation to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) in March. If the CTB concurs with the commissioner’s recommendation, one or both proposals can move to the second stage of detailed review.

Next critical dates in 2003:

· March 19 – Commissioner makes recommendation to CTB to move one or both proposals to the detailed review stage. Should the process continue, following CTB approval, there will be a public comment period of 60 days on one or both proposals, followed by a second stage of detailed review.
· July 11 – If VDOT moves forward with the process, a review panel selects one or both proposals for negotiations.
· Sept. 30 – VDOT’s target date for completing negotiations should one or both proposals move through the PPTA process successfully.

Last September, VDOT solicited conceptual proposals from private entities to design, build, improve, maintain and/or operate all or parts of I-81 through Virginia. The proposals were solicited under the PPTA process, which allows for VDOT to partner with the private sector to build roads more efficiently.

Proposals received from Fluor Virginia, Inc. and Star Solutions.

Additional background.