State Looks to Private Sector for Cost Savings Ideas for I-69 Completion

December 4, 2012

News Release

Indianapolis, Ind. — A formal Request for Information was issued today seeking ideas from private sector engineers, contractors and financing experts to reduce the cost and accelerate the construction of Interstate 69 Section 5, which involves upgrades to the existing State Road 37 between Bloomington and Martinsville.

“INDOT is exploring innovative ways to deliver needed safety improvements for the citizens of Bloomington while reducing uncertainty and inconvenience for motorists and businesses,” said Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Commissioner Michael B. Cline.

I-69 Section 5 is currently in an extended formal comment period following publication of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. INDOT will conduct a public hearing this Thursday, Dec. 6 in the Monroe County Fairgrounds Auditorium at 5700 W. Airport Road, just west of the S.R. 45 and Airport Road intersection in Bloomington. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the formal presentation begins at 6:30 p.m., after which the public is invited to provide comments.

The new Interstate 69 between Evansville and Indianapolis is widely regarded as a key component to the future economic vitality of southwestern Indiana, and will connect an entire region of the state with improved access to jobs, education and healthcare. The 142-mile I-69 corridor was divided into six independent sections with the Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Study, which was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in March 2004.

Sixty-seven miles of new interstate highway are now open – ahead of schedule and under budget – between I-64 near Evansville and U.S. 231 near Naval Support Activity Crane. Construction is underway on the 27 miles of I-69 Section 4 between Crane and Bloomington.

Pending federal approval, I-69 Section 5 construction could begin as early as 2013 with safety improvements to existing S.R. 37 intersections and interchanges in Bloomington. The safety improvements are intended to coincide with the opening of I-69 Section 4 to traffic southwest of Bloomington.

Indiana is a national leader in leveraging private capital to deliver needed transportation projects sooner, and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. Governor Mitch Daniels’ Major Moves program accelerated construction of I-69 and other long-term transportation projects across the state with the $3.8 billion lease of the Indiana Toll Road

INDOT today published a formal Request for Information on two delivery models that would share with the private sector the cost and risk to design-build-finance (DBF) or design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) I-69 Section 5. The state would use existing revenue sources to repay the contractor’s investment over time upon completion of key construction milestones and/or meeting performance standards following construction.

The Request for Information may be viewed at http://www.in.gov/indot/3119.htm. Responses from private sector firms are due by the end of December. For more information about I-69 in Indiana, please visit www.i69indyevn.org.

Source: Indiana Department of Transportation