This article is part of a daily series of MegaProjects articles. If you want to know more about PPP projects with a considerable size visit our MegaProjects section. You can receive them by email on a daily basis.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced it has received six responses to the RFI for the South Suburban Airport (SSA) P3 project.

The respondents are:

• ACS Infrastructure Development
• China Airport Construction Group Corp.
• Great Lakes Basin Transportation
• Kiewit
• OHL Infrastructure
• Transpacific Alliance Team

IDOT issued the RFI to explore industry interest in entering into a Predevelopment Agreement (PDA) with for the project, which will be located in Will County, IL.

IDOT is interested in potentially developing SSA through a PDA because the agency believes that an early partnership with an experienced private sector airport developer and collaborative development approach could provide the commercial and technical expertise and financial investment that would accelerate project implementation and operational and commercial success. 

A PDA is envisioned as Phase 1 in a two-phase process to potentially deliver the SSA. Under a PDA, it is contemplated that IDOT would retain ultimate responsibility to advance environmental and Airport Master Plan work, while the private partner would perform other Phase 1 predevelopment work, including a feasibility analysis, financing and business plan. IDOT would seek to engage in a PDA to advance the project to a level sufficient to support Phase 2 implementation. Phase 2 of the agreement would be to finance, design, build and maintain the airport.

The vision for the South Suburban Airport involves designing and constructing a supplemental, commercial service airfield that will serve the greater Chicago land area. Located conveniently outside of Chicago, a major transportation hub in America’s heartland, the South Suburban Airport will offer travelers and businesses an expanded array of options in air and freight travel to meet their growing transportation needs.

SSA will serve a vital role in the region by providing a convenient and accessible venue for commercial passenger service, cargo operations, as well as corporate and general aviation activities.

This is the second time IDOT has launched a tender process to seek a private partner for the project. In 2014, IDOT received eight responses to the first RFI issued, but the procurement stalled in 2015.