Review of State Highway 130 proposals completed

(Austin) - Long Star Infrastructure - a consortium of engineering and construction firms with world-wide experience - offers the best long term value of three groups proposing to build State Highway 130, according to an evaluation just completed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Contract discussions will begin immediately between TxDOT's Turnpike Authority Division and Lone Star Infrastructure on an agreement under which the consortium would design, construct, and maintain SH 130.

This will be the first Exclusive Development Agreement for a state highway project in Texas. Such agreements will accelerate needed highway improvements by allowing the state to hire one consortium to do all the work on a project - much of it simultaneously - rather than the traditional development process in which the state divides the funding, design, construction and maintenance into separate steps. "This is good news for Central Texas motorists," said state senator Gonzalo Barrientos. "Upon its completion, SH 130 should alleviate some of the congestion currently making Interstate 35 as it runs through Austin the most dangerous stretch of that highway in the country. Getting the road built will be very much a team effort, as it has been just to get to this point. I'm confident that TxDOT, the Texas Transportation Commission, CAMPO, and the cities and counties involved will continue to work together as this project develops." Turnpike officials hope to have a final agreement within the next two months.

"We are moving full speed ahead," said Mike Behrens, TxDOT executive director. "Because of its size and scope, SH 130 is uniquely qualified for an exclusive development agreement and completing the proposal evaluations is another major accomplishment getting us closer to making the highway a reality." As soon as the exclusive development agreement is approved, right of way acquisition and detailed design work can begin. The Texas Transportation Commission must approve the selection of Lone Star Infrastructure as the best value proposer and award the agreement. With an exclusive development agreement, construction can begin while design work and right of way acquisition continues on other parts of the corridor. Traditionally, design work is completed and right of way acquired before TxDOT hires a contractor to build a project.

The decision to enter contract discussions with Lone Star Infrastructure comes after an extensive two-month review of proposals from three groups on SH 130 - a proposed toll road that will relieve congestion on I-35 and other major roadways in the Austin/San Antonio corridor. In evaluating the proposals, TxDOT looked for innovative thinking in addition to considering construction cost, scheduling, and long term maintenance cost. TxDOT officials determined that Lone Star Infrastructure submitted the proposal that offers the best value to taxpayers and motorists for the next 15 to 30 years. The other consortiums submitting proposals were Four Rivers Developers, ranking second after the evaluation of the proposals, and Texas Corridor Constructors. When completed, SH 130 will stretch some 90 miles from I-35 north of Georgetown to I-10 near Seguin. The exclusive development agreement would be for the entire distance, but TxDOT officials expect initial work to focus on the northern section from Georgetown to south of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.