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Last updated on Wednesday, August 21, 2013
(BLOOMINGTON) - The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has announced that ongoing refinement of the Interstate 69 Evansville to Indianapolis project has reduced impacts to homes, businesses, forests, wetlands and the project budget.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) advanced I-69 Section 5 development by issuing a combined Tier 2 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD).
Cost and impact reductions since the October 2012 Draft EIS were gained through more detailed engineering and site condition assessments that maximized use of existing S.R. 37 roadway and right of way.
I-69 Section 5 will upgrade approximately 21 miles of four-lane, divided S.R. 37 to interstate standards, with seven interchanges and five overpasses from just south of Bloomington to just south of S.R. 39 in Martinsville.
I-69 Section 5 is the second Indiana project to receive a combined Final EIS/ROD under 2012 federal transportation legislation. Section 1319(b) of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act outlines the combined FEIS/ROD process, which streamlines the environmental review process.
The Record of Decision finalizes the routing of I-69 Section 5, advancing further project development and procurement as a public-private partnership (P3).
Indiana is a national leader in leveraging private capital and innovation to deliver needed transportation projects sooner, and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.
I-69 Section 5 will not involve tolling, but instead will leverage INDOT's traditional state and federal appropriations to attract low-cost private sector financing.
The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and INDOT plan to replicate the success of the East End Crossing of the Ohio River Bridges Project by using an "availability payment" P3 to deliver I-69 Section 5.
An availability payment P3 is an alternative to traditional transportation bonding that taps private sector innovation and competition to reduce costs and accelerate the construction schedule. It transfers from taxpayers to the private sector risks of cost overruns, both during construction and for operations and maintenance during a defined time period.
If the road isn't made "available" to the public in compliance with performance standards in the contract, the recurring, inflation-adjusted payments are reduced accordingly.
In late July, the IFA and INDOT selected four private developer teams that will compete to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the project:
Connect Indiana Development Partners
* Equity Members: Macquarie Capital Group Limited, Lane Infrastructure Inc.
* Construction: Connect Indiana Constructors, a joint venture of Lane Construction Corporation and Ames Construction Inc.
* Design: Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.
* O&M: Connect Indiana Operators, a joint venture of Macquarie Capital Group Limited and Lane Infrastructure Inc.
Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V.
* Equity Members: Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V.
* Construction: Corsan-Corviam Construccion, S.A.
* Design: AZTEC Engineering Group Inc., TYPSA (Tecnica y Proyectos S.A.)
* O&M: Isolux Infrastructure Netherlands B.V.
Plenary Roads Indiana
* Equity Members: Plenary Group USA Ltd.
* Construction: Granite-Weber, a joint venture of Granite Construction Company and Fred Weber Inc.
* Design: AECOM
* O&M: ICA
WM I-69 Partners
* Equity Members: Walsh Investors LLC, Meridiam Infrastructure I-69 LLC
* Construction: Walsh Construction Company II LLC (part of The Walsh Group)
* Design: Parsons Transportation Group
* O&M: Transfield Services Infrastructure Inc.
The new Interstate 69 between Evansville and Indianapolis is a key component to the future economic vitality of southwestern Indiana, and will connect an entire region with improved access to jobs, education and healthcare.
The 142-mile I-69 corridor was divided into six independent sections in the Tier 1 Final EIS, which was approved with a Record of Decision in March 2004.
The first three sections opened for business in November 2012 -- under budget and years ahead of schedule -- and save motorists more than 30 minutes travel time in the 67 miles between Evansville and Crane.
Construction is underway on all 27 miles of I-69 Section 4 between Crane and Bloomington, which is expected to open to traffic in phases during late 2014 and early 2015.
To read the combined I-69 Section 5 Tier 2 Final EIS/ROD, or to learn more about the I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis project, please visit www.i69indyevn.org.
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