TxDOT and Flatiron/Dragados consortium sign $800 million bridge P3 in Texas
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 Texas Department of Transportation and Flatiron/Dragados, LLC entered into a comprehensive development agreement on September 28th, 2015 for the Harbor Bridge Replacement Project in Corpus Christi.
Flatiron/Dragados LLC is a limited liability company consisting of Flatiron Constructors, Inc. and Dragados USA, Inc.. Flatiron is a subsidiary of Germany-based Hochtief, which is a majority owned by Spain's ACS Group. Dragados USA, Inc. is the U.S. construction arm of ACS Group.
The project involves the development of a a new bridge over the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The preferred bidder has proposed a cable-stayed bridge with a main span of about 500 m long, which will be the longest cable-stayed span in the United States. The current bridge was built in the late 1950s. Plans for a replacement bridge to improve safety have been in the works for more than a decade.
The $800 millionPPP project will include the design, build, finance and maintenance (DBFM) of the new bridge for a period of 25 years. It also includes the demolition of the existing bridge and the reconstruction of portions of US 181, I-37 and the Crosstown Expressway.
The design proposed by the developer includes a mainspan of 1655 feet, which, when completed, will be the longest concrete cable-stayed span in North America. In addition to designing and constructing the new bridge, the agreement also requires the developer to maintain the facility for 25 years.
An RFP was issued to shortlisted teams in October 2014 and a Flatiron/Dragados consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder in April 2015. Flatiron/Dragados LLC was one of four proposers that submitted a Proposal for the Project.
The consortium beat out competition from three other teams that were shortlisted for the project last June:
- Harbor Bridge Constructors, a firm owned by Walsh Infrastructure, LLC.
- Harbor Bridge Partners, a firm owned by Kiewit Development Company.
- Traylor-Zachry-Fluor Crosstown Builders, a consortium composed by: Traylor Bros., Inc., Zachry Construction Corporation, and Fluor Enterprises, Inc.
