CDOT Seeks Qualified Firms to Submit Comparable Proposals to Address Mobility and Congestion Issues on the I-70 West Mountain Corridor

March 16, 2012 - Central Eastern Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - DENVER – Today, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released a request for statements of interest (RFSOI) for qualified firms interested in submitting a co-development proposal to assist CDOT in providing a long-term solution to the congestion and mobility issues on the I-70 Mountain Corridor through a program of highway, transit and other improvements.

This would also include helping CDOT to secure a Public-Private Partnership for financing, designing, building, and operating the I-70 improvements through a long-term concession agreement.

In July of 2011, the High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) division of CDOT received an unsolicited proposal for a co-development plan of a phased program of transportation improvements on Interstate 70 between C-470 and Silverthorne initially and extending to Eagle in the future. The proposal includes adding managed lanes to I-70 that are priced according to the level of congestion, as well as a transit system for the long term.   Existing lanes of I-70 would remain free to all vehicles.  Parsons, an international design, engineering and construction company submitted the unsolicited proposal which indicates that the project could generate sufficient revenues so that little to no state or federal dollars would be required.

Following a review of the proposal and modifications to better align with improvements identified in the I-70 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Record of Decision (ROD), CDOT is now moving ahead with the next step of seeking comparable proposals.

Whether the Parsons plan or another co-development proposal is selected, the selected proposer will be tasked with project development efforts designed to examine and validate the project concept, and will include the following elements:

  • A Detailed Traffic & Revenue Study – confirms study assumptions and revenue forecasts
  • Technical Plan - the engineering details of the project being proposed
  • Financial  Plan – to establish a financial structure, balancing risks and rewards, that will be attractive to private investors
  • Federal Environmental Clearance

Throughout this process, CDOT and the selected co-developer will have “off-ramps” (the option to not proceed to a final agreement involving construction) should the project not be deemed financially feasible.

The ultimate goal of this process is to:

  • Deliver a long-term solution to the congestion and mobility issues on the I-70 Mountain Corridor that is consistent with the I-70 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Record of Decision and/or modified to be generally consistent but perhaps better able to meet the goals of the project.  The solution should  include highway and transit components.
  • Provide an innovative project that minimizes the need for state or federal financial support
  • Identify a strategy for obtaining a full concession agreement.
  • Identify project phasing, major milestones and decision points.
  • Maximize opportunities for local workers, businesses and communities

The RFSOI response date is April 23rd, 2012 and CDOT expects to issue a Request for Proposals in the summer of 2012 for the shortlisted co-developer.