ARTBA PPP awards include key Texas project

A $1.2 billion highway project in North Central Texas was recognised as a prime example of innovative transportation financing at an event held by the 920 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The 26th Annual Public Private Partnership (P3) Conference in US capital Washington was organised by ARTBA with its P3 Awards being presented in two categories, for entrepreneur of the year and project of the year. The former is given to at least one individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the forward progress of P3s in the US transportation industry. Meanwhile the latter highlights a project that demonstrates the value P3s bring to the US transportation development. 

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Russell Zapalac, a 30-year veteran of transportation project delivery. Zapalac is chief planning and project officer at the 3499 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). He convinced state policymakers to incrementally expand TxDOT’s authority to use P3s and Design-Build as innovative delivery methods. Today, the agency has $2.5 billion in P3 projects in operation, $12 billion under construction, and nearly $4 billion in contracts pending.  The P3 Project of the Year award was given to the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) Connector in Texas. The massive highway expansion and reconstruction project features 24 lanes, including 14 main lanes, six frontage road lanes and four managed toll lanes with dynamic pricing allowing traffic to flow at 80km/h through one of the state’s most congested areas. The project team included: TxDOT; 2418 HDR; 1662 Jacobs; 4137 KPMG; Nossaman; NorthGate Constructors (a joint venture of Kiewit and Zachry Construction); and 2693 Parsons Brinckerhoff. The DFW’s innovations in procurement, management, logistics & planning, and other efficiencies resulted in the project being completed six months ahead of schedule with savings of $140 million.