- New USDOT Grant Program Aims To Facilitate P3s And Innovative Project Financing
- Years Of Litigation Fail To Advance Demolition Of Century-Old Toll Bridge Closed Since 1991
- Construction Underway On New Exit For West Virginia Turnpike Service Plaza
- New Hampshire State Police Report Results Of Enhanced Everett Turnpike Patrolling
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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New USDOT Grant Program Aims To Facilitate P3s And Innovative Project Financing
USDOT announced it will provide $100 million in discretionary grants over five years to help public entities explore and develop projects using public-private partnerships and other innovative financing and delivery methods for TIFIA-eligible projects. A notice of funding opportunity issued yesterday allocates $57.72 million in program funds for fiscal years 2022 through 2024. “Grants up to $2 million are available, with the first million requiring no local match. Applications are due May 9.” States, tribal governments, local governments, special purpose public authorities and agencies chartered by a state, tribal or local government are eligible to apply for two types of grants, one or the other of which applicants must choose in the initial funding round:
- Technical Assistance Grants “will build organizational capacity and advance a portfolio of assets by conducting pre-construction tasks, such as asset scans, value-for-money analyses, and other tasks that consider innovative finance and delivery, including asset concessions.”
- Expert Services Grants will “enable recipients to hire expert professionals to develop and deliver public-private partnerships in connection with the development of a specific asset.”
The Innovative Finance and Asset Concessions Grant Program is managed by the Build America Bureau, which will host March 21 informational webinars on each type of grant for potential applicants. (See the USDOT announcement for schedule and registration information. Although participation isn’t mandatory, it is encouraged. The bureau will post webinar recordings and presentation materials on the grant program website.) Bureau chief Morteza Farajian commented, “Providing 100 percent funding with no match for the first $1 million will enable lower-resourced agencies to apply for these funds without impacting their budget or daily services to the public. This funding will enable communities to develop and evaluate innovative solutions and delivery models to more efficiently and cost-effectively construct complicated projects.”
Alternative Project Delivery P3 & Privatization US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesYears Of Litigation Fail To Advance Demolition Of Century-Old Toll Bridge Closed Since 1991
The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reports an “unusable” toll bridge opened in 1922 but closed since 1991 spans the Ohio River between Bellaire, West Virginia, and Benwood, Ohio. Local officials maintain it is already a public safety hazard and could seriously damage underlying property and disrupt economic activity in the event of a collapse. A federal effort to compel the span’s demolition started in the 1990s but has bogged down in litigation that, as described in the article, resembles the probate case in Dickens’ Bleak House. Disputes over current ownership of the bridge and financial responsibility for its demolition are the issues that US courts can’t seem to resolve.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Ohio West VirginiaConstruction Underway On New Exit For West Virginia Turnpike Service Plaza
West Virginia DOT announced that the exit from the northbound West Virginia Turnpike (I-77) to the Bluestone Travel Plaza (mile marker 18) is temporarily closed to allow for the exit’s reconstruction. “The West Virginia Parkways Authority demolished the old travel plaza in May 2023, but the exit remained open so tractor-trailer drivers had a place to pull over and park their vehicles.” The current work is part of a $122.8 million contract to replace both the Bluestone and Beckley travel plazas, which are scheduled to reopen by Thanksgiving. (WVDOT’s news release includes service plaza construction images.)
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Service Plazas West Virginia West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) West Virginia Parkways Authority (West Virginia Turnpike)New Hampshire State Police Report Results Of Enhanced Everett Turnpike Patrolling
The New Hampshire State Police announced the results of the “high visibility patrols” they conducted on the Everett Turnpike in Nashua during commuting hours last week. Troopers who were focused primarily on excessive speeding and aggressive driving behaviors stopped 100 vehicles for various violations. They also made three arrests, for the offenses of operating an unregistered vehicle without a valid license; aggravated driving under the influence while speeding; and driving while under suspension and “Misuse of Plates.” Last week was the second consecutive week of the state police enhanced enforcement campaign, which will continue through this month and into the spring.
Crime Beat Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) New Hampshire New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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