The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has invited interested parties to respond to the  Request for Information launched for the South Mountain Freeway to Develop and deliver a freeway system expansion in Maricopa County as a public-private partnership (PPP) project

The information obtained from the responses to the Request for Information will help ADOT to know industry's perspective and feedback on how the procurement process would work to help them with advanced planning and development efforts. ADOT is also seeking information about financing the project.

Those with an interest in the public-private partnership proposal must submit responses to outlined questions to ADOT's Office of P3 Initiatives by February 25, 2014.

In August, 2013, a group of private companies - led by Kiewit Development Co., Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., Sundt Construction, Inc. and Parsons Corporation - (South Mountain Development Group)  suggested a public-private partnership to construct the proposed South Mountain Freeway in Arizona.

This Request for Information is the next step after the unsolicited proposal, the first unsolicited proposal for a highway public-private partnership submitted to the agency. Under state law, ADOT is required to conduct a review of the proposal before deciding if the concept merits an open solicitation for other companies to submit competitive proposals.

The project remains a corridor under study, and this P3 proposal has no impact on the ongoing environmental impact statement that is scheduled to be finalized in 2014. EIS must be completed and acceptable to the Federal Highway Administration regardless of how the proposed project is funded or constructed.

See RFI document.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is set to relocate to new offices in Flagstaff as part of a first-ever public-private partnership designed to acquire new facilities for the agency and free up prime land for local redevelopment.

ADOT recently selected Vintage Partners, an Arizona-based development firm, as the developer that will relocate and consolidate the agency's offices in Flagstaff.