RICHMOND, Oct. 31, 2005 – An advisory panel consisting of transportation experts and policy-makers is expected to make a recommendation Nov. 1 on two private-sector proposals to build high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on the I-95/395 corridor from Northern Virginia to the Fredericksburg region. The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Nov. 1, in the Springfield Interchange Project Office, 6400 Commerce Street, Springfield, Va.

The panel could recommend that one, both, or neither proposal move forward to negotiations for a comprehensive agreement with the VDOT Commissioner.

The two detailed proposals were submitted under Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA), which allows the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to partner with the private sector to build roads more efficiently.

The detailed proposals are from:

Clark Construction and Shirley Contracting Company (Clark/Shirley)
Fluor Virginia, Inc. and Transurban USA INC. (Fluor-Transurban)

The meeting agenda includes the following:

• Discussion and vote on HOV/HOT lane concept


• Discussion and vote on proposers’ qualifications


• Discussion and vote on recommendations to the VDOT Commissioner


• Neither proposer


• Both proposers


• Clark team only


• Fluor team only


• Discussion and vote on advisory panel findings


• Discussion and vote on recommendations for a comprehensive agreement

Advisory panel members are:

John A. Rollison III, Special Advisor to the Transportation Secretary
Katherine Hanley, Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) member, Northern Virginia
Julia Connally, CTB member, at-large urban
Robert Sevila, CTB member, at-large urban
Malcolm Kerley, VDOT Chief Engineer
Barbara Reese, VDOT Chief Financial Officer
Dennis Morrison, VDOT Northern Virginia District Administrator
Dave Ogle, VDOT Fredericksburg District Administrator
Charles Badger, Assistant Director, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Ron Kirby, Director, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Alfred Harf, Executive Director, Potomac Rappahannock Transit Commission
Brian Smith, University of Virginia Department of Civil Engineering
Dan Tangherlini, Director, Washington D.C. Department of Transportation
Zeke Newcomb, former CTB member

PPTA is a procurement vehicle for VDOT to fund projects. Regardless of how a project is procured – either through a public-private partnership or conventional means – it must go through the required state and federal environmental laws and regulations. Environmental review involves public participation.

On the Internet:

VDOT:

www.VirginiaDOT.org

Direct link to I-95/395 HOT/HOV PPTA proposals and project information:
http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/ppta-I-95_I-395HOTLanes.asp

Page last modified: Oct. 31, 2005