Virginia calls for investors for $1 billion tunnel toll concession in Norfolk

Virginia DOT is seeking proposals from investors to make about a billion dollars of improvements to the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and the MLK Extension in return for a longterm toll concession. The project consists of building:

- a new 2-lane tunnel under the tidal Elizabeth River parallel to the existing Midtown Tunnel

- perform improvements to the existing Midtown Tunnel (2 lanes single tube)

- improve the interchange at Brambleton/Hampton Blvd nearby

- extend the MLK Exprerssway London Blvd to I-264 with an interchange at High St

- improvements to the safety and tolling systems of the existing Downtown Tunnel (already twin 2 lane)

- provide redundant systems

Soliciation for proposals (posh Virginia talk for RFP) is 77 pages pdf here

http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/ipd/Midtown_SFP_080530.pdf

VDOT wants conceptual proposals that:

- increase capacity, reduce congestion, improve safety

- allow for bus rapid transit supporting a regional network

- improve emergency evacuation capabilities

- support planned development of a funky Norfolk downtown/harborfront (being bureaucrats they talk soporific cliches: 'multimodal transportation' and 'coordination with adjacent land use plans")

VDOT has a six stage process in developing the proposal and selecting the concessionaire.

Improvements to the two sets of tunnels that link Norfolk to the west have been studied and debated for years. There is a reasonable consensus that the improvements are needed. Nailing down project details and financing have slowed movement in the past.

The project was put out for expressions of interest back in Nov 2004. Three firms, Tidewater Skanska, Jacobs and Parsons Transportation responded. Then the process was put on the shelf while further study and permitting was done. There is now a federal Record of Decision on the twinning of the Midtown Tunnel, which means its permitting is complete. Huge amounts of design and alternatives analysis has been done.

The project is now being thrown open to new proposals.

Manager for the procurement is raymond.partridge@vdot.virginia.gov

brief project description is here

http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/hamptonroads/downtown_tunnel-midtown_tunnel-mlk_extension.asp

BACKGROUND: This project is in the heart of the Norfolk/Hampton Roads/Tidewater metro area right by the old downtown of Norfolk, among the top three or four ports on the east coast of the US. Norfolk is the major port for the US Navy for Atlantic operations with several carrier groups based closeby. It is also a major commercial port and an attractive area for vacationers and retirees and people who just want to live by the sea.

The metro area has 1.57m people according to the 2000 Census.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-05-30