Penn Pike issues Request for Concepts/Solutions for Mon Fayette/S Beltway

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has issued a Request for Concepts and Solutions to further a public private partnership (P3) to build all or major parts of the uncompleted Mon Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway near Pittsburgh. About 120 people attended an informational session in Harrisburg at a hotel auditorium not far from the Turnpike's head offices Sept 17.

The meeting was opened by CEO Joe Brimmeier and there were presentations by chief engineer Frank Kempf and project engineer Don Klingensmith.

Brimmeier said "fifty miles are up for grabs" a shorthand reference to the opportunity to get toll concessions to build and toll some 52 miles (84km) of the Mon Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway, south and west of Pittsburgh. These have been estimated to cost in total $5.2b, most of the cost in the inner area MFE/51-376.

The Turnpike Commission would turn over 101km (63 miles) of the Mon Fayette/Southern Beltway tollroad system that is either in operation or under construction.

CEO Brimmeier was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post/Gazette as saying: ""We're giving you a blank slate. We want you to look at more than highways, but at gas and coal rights, greenfield and brownfield development, multimodal shipping using rails and rivers, pay park-and-ride lots and other opportunities."

The Commission is trying to get support for approx 42km (26 miles) of 2+2 lane expressway on the Southern Beltway between US22 and the MonFayette Expressway on either side of I-79, and another 42km (26 miles) on the Mon Fayette Expressway between PA51 and I-376, a Y-plan project.

But Commission speakers presented traffic projections for partial builds of the uncompleted segments, indicating they are prepared to accept less than full construction. However the projections were for 2052 and 2062, remote dates producing low present values for tolls, while carrying great uncertainty.

The Commission has placed a huge set of project documents on a website.

In attendance were two state legislators who have been pushing for completion of the expressway/beltway projects: Joe Markosek and Barry Stout.

One concessionaire company man told us today the Commission's approach of seeking concepts and solutions without any schedule for further steps toward concrete proposals and without a selection process is puzzling.

He said it's not clear what incentive the private sector has to participate beyond keeping in favor with the Commission.

Failure to respond to the RFC/S does not preclude participation in later stages of the procurement - if there are later stages.

The RFC/S are due Nov 11.

see http://www.paturnpike.com/P3/p3_project.aspx

The RFC/S is explained here

http://www.paturnpike.com/P3/PDF/P3_RFCS_for_MFX_and_S-B_9-17-08.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2008-09-18