The Commonwealth of Virginia has named I-66 Express Mobility Partners as the Preferred Proposer for the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project, which will design, build, finance, maintain and operate the scheme designed to relieve congestion, improve safety, and provide more predictable travel times for Northern Virginia and the Washington DC metropolitan region.
The Cintra and Meridiam-led consortium bring global experience in delivering large scale infrastructure projects, such as the much-recognized LBJ Express and North Tarrant Express projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region. Both roadways are significantly alleviating traffic congestion and achieving high levels of customer satisfaction. The Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway Project extends 22 miles (35.4km) along the Interstate 66 corridor between US Route 29 near Gainesville, in Prince William County, and Interstate 495, in Fairfax County, with a total investment of more than US$3bn.
The project includes:
Three toll-free general purpose lanes in each direction;
Two express lanes in each direction, with a state-of-the-art open-road electronic toll collection system;
Direct access between the express lanes and new or expanded commuter lots;
New and expanded transit services and park-and-ride lots;
Interchange improvements to enhance safety and reduce congestion, including auxiliary lanes between interchanges, where needed.
With US headquarters in Austin, Texas, Cintra is a subsidiary of Spain-based Ferrovial, the world’s leading private-sector transportation infrastructure company, with a portfolio that includes more than 1,200 miles (1,900km) of managed highways globally, and nearly US$8bn of infrastructure projects in the USA. Meridiam is a France-based independent investment firm specializing in the development, financing and management of long-term public infrastructure projects. In addition to Cintra and Meridiam, the I-66 Express Mobility Partners consortium includes lead contractors Ferrovial Agroman US Corp, and Allan Myers VA Inc.
“It’s a privilege to be selected as the Preferred Proposer for this critically important, highly innovative transportation project serving residents and businesses in and around the DC Metro area,” said Belen Marcos, president of Cintra in the USA. “Our consortium is proud to be bringing our experience in delivering state of the art infrastructure projects that connect people to their home, work and communities.”
Jane Garvey, chairman, Meridiam North America, commented, “The Commonwealth’s vision for Transform 66 is something we share, and our commitment to provide an innovative mobility solution for this key region of the USA is unwavering. We’re ready to put the full breadth and depth of experience of all of our I-66 Express Mobility Partners consortium members to work for Northern Virginia and DC Metro area residents.”
Carlos Ugarte, global business development director for Cintra, added, “Together with our consortium partners, we are committed to a long-term partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia to address area transportation needs. Transform 66 and our work on this project will enhance mobility, while delivering economic growth and job opportunities across the region.”
