RICHMOND, Dec. 7, 2005 – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) advanced today four out of the five conceptual proposals received under the Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA) to operate the Dulles Toll Road (DTR) in Northern Virginia.

VDOT staff conducted a quality control review of the proposals and will advance them to the Independent Review Panel (IRP) for review under the PPTA guidelines. This is not an approval or endorsement of a specific scope or price. The proposals’ advancement means that they satisfy the minimum quality control requirements for further review.

“VDOT exercised due diligence under the PPTA guidelines to advance the proposals,” said Acting VDOT Commissioner Gregory A. Whirley. “We are on schedule in the process to review the proposals so that the best decisions are made for the future of the Dulles Toll Road and for the taxpayers.”

The proposals that will be advanced are:

The Dulles Corridor Mobility Initiative
Macquarie Infrastructure, Autostrade, John Laing and IIG

Cintra Dulles Proposal
Cintra USA Corp.

Dulles Express
Franklin L. Haney Co.

Dulles SmartLink
Transurban and Goldman Sachs

The proposals above would pay VDOT approximately $1 billion to operate, maintain and collect tolls on the Dulles Toll Road for 50 years. The groups propose capital improvements to the DTR roadways, structures, ramps and toll facilities.

VDOT determined that the proposals satisfied the following requirements in the quality control review phase:

address needs identified in the appropriate local, regional or state transportation plan;

result in the availability of the facility to the public in a more timely, more efficient or less costly fashion;

and provide for cost and/or risk sharing with private entities.

VDOT determined that the Dulles to D.C. Loop proposal submitted by Virginia Mobility Associates will not advance to the next phase of evaluation because it does not satisfy the requirements of the quality control review phase.

VDOT manages the DTR under an easement from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Next steps in the PPTA process:

The four advancing proposals have been sent to Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer. In accordance with the PPTA guidelines, the secretary has 60 days to select a chairperson and name an independent review panel to evaluate the proposals. A panel of local, regional and state transportation professionals, Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) members and representatives from the academic and business communities or other appropriate individuals will review the proposals in more depth. Public participation, including a comment session, will be held during this phase. Affected jurisdictions can submit written comments until February 15, 2006 for the panel to consider. The review panel will make a recommendation to VDOT and CTB.

The CTB would recommend the proposals’ advancement or rejection. Should the process advance, VDOT would request a detailed proposal from each advancing proposer and conduct further review of the detailed submittals.

VDOT’s commissioner may enter into negotiations for an interim agreement or comprehensive agreement. The transportation secretary’s approval of the PPTA process has been requested and is required before the commissioner can sign an agreement.

The competing proposals are posted on www.VirginiaDOT.org. The direct link is
http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/pptaDullesCorridorInitiative.asp.

The public may email their comments to DullesTollRoad@VDOT.Virginia.gov or mail them to:

Mr. Jeff Hetzer
Virginia Department of Transportation
Innovative Project Delivery Division
1401 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Page last modified: Dec. 7, 2005