Transportation Leaders Map Out the Future of P3 Delivery

What happened: The evolving and growing market for delivering major transportation projects was the focus of ARTBA’s 37^th Annual Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in Transportation Conference July 15-17 in Washington, D.C. Practitioners and owners shared strategies for utilizing P3s and other forms of alternative delivery to make transformational projects a reality.

Among the highlights:

• North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) COO Chris Peoples provided an update on his state’s $5 billion Hurricane Helene recovery effort, for which alternative procurement has been critical, and the outlook for the Charlotte Express Lanes Network, I-77 South Express Lanes, Mid -Currituck Bridge, and Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
• Tennessee DOT’s Bryan Ledford reported on the state’s emerging P3 program, calling it a new “paradigm” that requires a thoughtful approach. He updated attendees on the state’s first-ever P3, the 1-24 Choice Lanes near Nashville, now in procurement.
• Marc Mastronardi of Georgia DOT detailed how the SR 400 project fits into the long-term plan to relieve congestion and facilitate freight movement in the Atlanta area.
• State lawmakers from Tennessee, Indiana, and Washington who chair transportation committees shared what motivated them to embrace innovative financing and their experience getting enabling legislation passed. State Sen. Becky Massey (Tennessee) said it was “eye-opening” to learn her state had “$30 billion dollars of projects on the books that weren’t funded. We needed new tools.”
• Other sessions addressed the need for and impact of permitting reform, challenges in sureties and insurance, navigating the complexities of recent executive orders and court rulings, and the future of express lane projects.

Why it matters: ARTBA’s P3 Division hosts this annual conference to highlight success stories and share details about financing and delivering large and complex projects. The content helps parties at the state level – including lawmakers, owners and industry – conduct more informed dialogues about deploying various delivery methods.

P3 conference quote: “We have to acknowledge that urban areas are creating demand for really big things, and they are becoming expensive, requiring billions of dollars upfront and a long-term commitment to maintenance.” – Bryan Ledford, Tennessee DOT Assistant Chief Engineer, Alternative Delivery and Public Private Partnerships