RALEIGH — The N.C. Turnpike Authority has narrowed the list of teams under consideration to design and construct the Monroe Connector/Bypass toll road project to three finalists. Last month, seven interested teams submitted Statements of Qualification to the Authority, a division of the N.C. Department of Transportation charged with overseeing toll roads across the state.
The three finalists are:
· A joint venture of Flatiron Constructors Inc. and Zachry Construction Corp., teamed with lead design firm AECOM Technical Services of North Carolina Inc.;
· A joint venture of Granite Construction Co. and Blythe Construction Inc., teamed with lead design firm STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates Inc.; and
· A joint venture of United Infrastructure Group Inc., Boggs Paving Inc. and Anderson Columbia Company Inc., teamed with lead design firm Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP.
The teams will soon be reviewing the draft Request for Proposals (RFP), which details the contract’s specifications, and will provide feedback for the Authority to use in developing its final RFP. The teams will then use the final RFP to create their technical proposals and calculate project bids.
The Authority plans to open the bids and announce the selected team in October. Once the bids are open, it can move forward with obtaining bond ratings, finalizing its financial plan and selling bonds, with the goal of awarding the design-build contract in December. The project is currently set to open to traffic in 2014.
The Monroe Connector/Bypass will run 19.7 miles from U.S. 74 at I-485 in eastern Mecklenburg County to U.S. 74 near the Town of Marshville in Union County. The preliminary estimated project cost is between $749 million and $824 million. It will be completed using the design-build method, which helps expedite project completion and can provide cost savings by using a single team to complete both design and construction.
The project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement was issued last month by the Authority and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It confirms selection of the route’s preferred alternative and is available online at www.ncturnpike.org/projects/monroe.
Final federal approval of the route is expected this summer when the FHWA issues its Record of Decision.
***NCDOT***
Reid Simons
Director of Government and Public Affairs
North Carolina Turnpike Authority
919-523-1662 cell
5400 Glenwood Avenue, Ste. 400
Raleigh, NC 27612
phone: 919-788-7152
fax: 919-571-3015
121 W. Trade Street, Ste. 2050
Charlotte, NC 28202
phone: 704-208-5348
