MONTGOMERY – Members of the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority approved starting negotiations with two joint venture groups that submitted proposals for building and design of the Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project on Tuesday.
Mobile River Constructors and Kiewit-Massman-Traylor are the two joint venture teams shortlisted for the project.
Mobile River Constructors consists of Flatiron Construction of Broomfield, Colorado, and Lane Construction of Cheshire, Connecticut. Kiewit-Massman-Traylor consists of Kiewit Infrastructure of Omaha, Nebraska; Massman Construction of Overland Park, Kansas; and Traylor Bros. of Evansville, Indiana.
The estimated cost of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge project is approximately $1.5 billion, and the estimated cost of the I-10 Bayway project is approximately $1 billion.
ALDOT Director John Cooper told Gov. Kay Ivey, who is also the Authority's Chair, at the meeting that "all we are asking for today is authority to negotiate to see if we can establish a guaranteed maximum price that falls within the parameters we've been working with."
"There's a very limited number of firms in the country who can adequately address this project," Cooper said. "The way we contemplate addressing it would involve a partnership or a joint venture agreement between a contracting element and a design firm. What we are asking for today is really for the Authority to authorize you to, in turn, perhaps authorize us to negotiate with these people to see what kind of maximum guaranteed price we can achieve so that at a later time, we can evaluate whether we can actually do this project or it has financial aspects that we are not prepared to address."
After the meeting concluded, an ALDOT spokesman said in a statement: "Today, the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority met in Montgomery to approve procedural steps necessary to keep advancing the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project as requested by local officials in Baldwin and Mobile counties."
"The approval by the Authority will allow the project to move forward without a concessionaire and in a way that conforms with the framework that was developed by the Eastern Shore and Mobile (Metropolitan Planning Organizations)," the spokesman said. "The next steps would include detailed negotiations to finalize a joint venture team for the project's construction."
Once completed, the project will be a tolled facility. The proposed toll rate is $2.50 with an ALGO pass and $40 per month with an unlimited-use ALGO pass.
The Alabama Toll Road, Bridge and Tunnel Authority's members are Ivey, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Cooper, Bill Poole, State Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview), State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), Liz Filmore, and Brooks McClendon.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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