The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority and the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority issue new Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
San Juan, Puerto Rico. August 2, 2022 — The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority (P3A), together with the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (PRHTA), issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to companies or consortiums interested in rehabilitating, financing, operating, and maintaining PRHTA’s Toll Roads PR-20, PR-52, PR-53 and PR-66.
The issuance of the RFQ comes after the publication of the Desirability and Convenience Study for the monetization of PRHTA Toll Roads in March 2022. The Study, commissioned by the P3A and prepared pursuant to Article 7 of the Puerto Rico Public Partnership Act, Act No. 29-2009, concluded that it is advisable to establish a public-private partnership for the project.
“This RFQ is part of the implementation of the Government’s public policy of modernizing and improving the quality of existing infrastructure and public services to continue promoting the island’s economic development and the people’s wellbeing. All within the context of the effective public-private partnerships model. We are confident we will receive a favorable market response for this project”, said Fermín Fontanés Gómez, Esq., Executive Director of the P3A.
“With the issuance of this RFQ we comply with the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board’s (FOMB) requisite of exploring the mechanism of a public-private partnership to support PRHTA. This public-private partnership will allow for the PRHTA to pay off its debt and focus on offering better and more secure public roads to the people of Puerto Rico”, indicated Edwin González Montalvo, PhD, PE, Executive Director of the PRHTA.
The project is listed as one of the Priority Projects of the Government of Puerto Rico; an initiative developed by the Government itself to further economic development and improve the Island’s infrastructure through the execution of high-impact projects. In addition, the PRHTA’s February 22, 2022 Certified Fiscal Plan highlights the need for PRHTA to address underperformance in the operation and maintenance of the Toll Roads, which has resulted in suboptimal road conditions, lack of sustainability, increased congestion, and safety concerns. To address the aforementioned, this project aims to (1) improve budget certainty and address PRHTA’s fiscal situation through leveraging up-front funding sources and minimizing public fund contributions; (2) modernize the existing infrastructure and improve the quality of the Toll Roads; (3) improve mobility, accessibility, and safety for users of the Toll Roads; (4) improve performance and accountability by allocating responsibilities to the party best able to manage them and integrating performance-based contracts; (5) increase revenue opportunities through reduced leakage, optimizing fare collection, and better aligning toll rates to costs; (6) accelerate improvements in the Toll Roads and limit risks in the delivery of improvements; and (7) reduce exposure to current fiscal situation in Puerto Rico.
For further information, interested parties are encouraged to access P3A’s website at www.p3.pr.gov. The RFQ is available at p3.pr.gov/rfq-prhta-toll-roads.
###
Contact: Claudia Ramírez