ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accelerate Maryland Partners LLC (AM Partners), led by Transurban and Macquarie Capital, has been selected by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), MDOT State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) as the developer to perform Predevelopment Work and deliver the American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan, which will expand transit options, ensure trip reliability and reduce some of the worst congestion in the nation. The selection follows a year-long competitive solicitation process that gained interest among some of the largest global infrastructure developers and operators. The announcement is an important step toward designing new managed lanes aligned to the concurrent Environmental Impact Statement process, as well as the short- and long-term objectives of Maryland and its communities.
The AM Partners consortium is led by Transurban and Macquarie Capital, whose collective experience spans more than 90 successful P3 projects globally, including Virginia’s I-495, I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes network – the largest urban P3 toll network in the U.S. with all segments delivered on time and on budget. The consortium seeks to extend the benefits of Virginia’s neighboring Express Lanes network that has saved more than seven million drivers a total of 17 million hours of time, while generating an estimated USD 7 billion in economic impact and 46,000 jobs in the Greater Washington Area through its development and construction since 2012.
“Governor Larry Hogan, MDOT and MDTA have put into action a bold program to keep Maryland residents and their economy moving forward,” said Pierce Coffee, President of Transurban North America. “Having grown up in the region, I – like many of Transurban’s employees – am proud to call this region home. With much work ahead, we are personally and professionally committed to a collaborative, flexible approach that puts customers first, minimizes impacts while building stronger communities and delivers on shared objectives for Maryland.”
Lead developers, Transurban and Macquarie Capital, bring a strong track record of exceeding subcontracting goals to small, women and minority-owned businesses, partnering with local trade unions and investing in workforce development programs.
“This is a generational opportunity to advance Maryland’s transportation infrastructure and drive lasting economic impact for the local community,” said Mark Bradshaw, Head of Infrastructure Projects, Europe & Americas at Macquarie Capital. “Our development plan is underpinned by local partnerships with the community and educational institutions to develop and train the workforce and create opportunity for local minority and disadvantaged businesses enterprises.”
The AM Partners consortium includes the design expertise of Dewberry Engineers Inc. and Stantec, Inc. and exclusive Maryland-based subconsultants Soltesz Inc., Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC, STV Incorporated, ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC and Floura Teeter Landscape Architects. The team also highlights a focus on the integration of the latest technology, including digital, connected and autonomous mobility solutions, into Maryland’s American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan. AM Partners expects to design and build a future-ready road, leveraging digital innovative partners including Cavnue, founded by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, LLC (SIP), as well as Via, a global leader in TransitTech.
In collaboration with MDOT, MDOT SHA, MDTA, local officials and business leaders and residents, AM Partners will advance the American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan which would add two high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to approximately 37 miles of highway from the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia, across and including the American Legion Bridge and on I-270 to I-70 in Maryland.
Maryland’s American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-70 Relief Plan will be advanced and delivered through a predevelopment concession agreement which provides for early collaboration between state and local agencies, stakeholder groups, residents and the developer through the conceptual, preliminary and final planning of the project – helping to reduce community impacts, travel disruptions and other development risks prior to construction.
The new Express Lanes in Maryland will connect to extensions now advancing on the I-495 Virginia Express Lanes network, including the 495 Northern Extension (NEXT) project. Maryland and Virginia have been coordinating the projects to ensure the seamless interoperability across the two states, and when completed Maryland and Virginia’s projects collectively will deliver more than 100 miles of reliable travel choices in the D.C. region for HOV-3 users, bus riders traveling for free and single-occupant drivers opting to pay a toll.
Pending the Maryland Board of Public Works approval of AM Partners as the developer in Q4 FY21, a final concession agreement, financial close and construction work is expected in late 2022. For more information on the project see MDOT’s announcement.
About Transurban North America
Transurban is one of the world’s largest toll-road operators and developers, working to get people where they want to go, as quickly and safely as possible. By embracing collaboration with government, our public-private partnerships are delivering transformative infrastructure solutions across five markets. In fiscal year 2020, our customers saved 339,000 hours on average each workday across 2.0 million trips on our roads with faster, more predictable travel options. With a leading market share of transportation P3 investment in North America, we are pioneering travel solutions like dynamically tolled Express Lanes and are partnering with government to think about the policies, technology and infrastructure that will get you home today and ten years from now. Learn more about Transurban in North America at:
Transurban.com | Expresslanes.com | A25.com
About Macquarie Capital
Macquarie Capital is the corporate advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group. Macquarie Capital has been a pioneer and global market leader in the infrastructure sector for over three decades. Its extensive global expertise includes investing in and raising debt capital for a broad range of infrastructure projects covering traditional core sectors such as transport and accommodation as well as emerging sectors such as digital infrastructure. Macquarie Capital currently has over $25 billion of infrastructure projects currently under construction or development. Learn more at www.macquarie.com
