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The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has published a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Gilcrease Expressway West P3 project. The authority is seeking interested and qualified firms to construct and finance an 8km expressway on the west side of Tulsa, Oklahoma, located in the south-central region of the USA. The estimated construction cost is US$230 million.

The successful bidder will deliver a fully functional four-lane divided, tolled highway, which will link two existing roads - Interstate 44 and US 412, as well as a bridge over the Arkansas River and an additional 21 bridges and five interchanges.

The new expressway will operate as an all-electronic tolled facility using Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s existing collection systems: PIKEPASS and PlatePay. The successful bidder will be responsible for constructing tolling gantries at locations to be determined by the Authority; although separate contractors will be procured for the furnishing and installation of the tolling equipment and the associated software and hardware integration.

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority will retain ownership of the expressway throughout the project and will be responsible for toll rate setting, operations and maintenance following substantial completion, and toll collection/back office operations for the project. The successful bidder will be responsible for close-out work and performance of warranty work following substantial completion.

Completing this segment of the city's road network is vital to providing access and connections for businesses and economic activity in the region and to providing a reliever route for growing congestion concerns for travel into downtown Tulsa.

The costs are expected to be met through with a combination of private interim construction financing arranged or provided by the successful bidder, amounting to approximately US$100 million, and public funds. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is currently seeking financing through the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 (TIFIA) credit program.

The issuance of this RFQ is the first step in a two-step procurement process and is intended to identify the respondent teams that will be eligible to participate in the Request for Proposals (RFP). Three to five respondent teams are expected to be shortlisted as eligible.

The deadline to respond is 8 August 2018. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority plans to issue a draft RFP to shortlisted respondents in September 2018, with a view to approving a preferred proposer in the first quarter of 2019. Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed in September 2021.

For more information, see the Business Opportunity.