This is the first time Ohio has pursued a design-build-finance approach for the construction of a major transportation project in the state. In 2011, Ohio’s legislature became the 30th in the USA to approve public-private partnerships, enabling ODOT to reconsider how it plans, constructs and delivers road and bridge projects.
Construction of the westbound bridge is already under way.
The eastbound Innerbelt Bridge project also includes the demolition of the ageing structure motorists currently use as they drive into and out of the city’s downtown on Interstate 90. The team will provide initial financing and construct the bridge; ODOT will then pay the team back over a set time.
“I’ve said before, ‘this isn’t your Grandpa’s ODOT,’ meaning that – in many instances – the old way of delivering some of these major road and bridge construction projects is no longer sustainable,” said ODOT director Jerry Wray. “We must innovate and we must seek out new ways of generating money in order to deliver these large transportation projects that communities want and need in order to continue our state’s economic recovery and create jobs.”
Teams will have until 21 December to respond to ODOT’s request for qualifications (RFQ), which is posted on the agency’s website (link opens in new tab). The list of qualified respondents will be narrowed to no more than three following a defined scoring model outlined in the RFQ. Those teams will be asked to develop technical and financial proposals and provide them to ODOT. A final winning team is likely to be selected by the summer of 2013.
Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2013 or early 2014, once the westbound bridge is complete.
