AASHTO Journal, 31 October 2014
Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch said the state DOT and a private-sector team called Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners will work together in a public-private partnership to replace 558 bridges.
Under PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, that private team must start construction next summer and complete all work in 36 months. The state retains ownership of the structures but the team maintains each bridge for 25 years after it is replaced.
“This agreement helps Pennsylvania take a big step to cutting further into its backlog of structurally deficient bridges,” Schoch said.
It can also save Pennsylvania a lot of money.
The private partnership’s $899 million proposal will cost an average of $65 million annually for its 28-year contract term. That averages out to $1.6 million per bridge for design, construction and maintenance, PennDOT said, compared with more than $2 million apiece through the standard process.
Schoch said besides the cost savings, a project goal is to “minimize impact to the traveling public. This team has thoroughly detailed their traffic control plans and expects to finish construction eight months earlier than required.”
The Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners team is made up of the Plenary Group, the Walsh Group, Granite Construction Co. and HDR Engineering., along with 11 subcontactors.
The private sector team manages bridge design, construction and maintenance. It also finances the project. PennDOT will make performance-based payments to contractors and handle routine maintenance such as snow plowing and debris removal.
To see the bridges included in the initiative and to learn more about the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project and P3 in Pennsylvania, visit www.P3forPA.pa.gov.
