Project Newsroom
Kentucky Issues Request for Proposals to Build Downtown Crossing of Ohio River Bridges
Project
Three finalist teams will compete to deliver best value; aggressive goals set for
minorities, women in construction workforce
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 1, 2012) — The race to determine who
will build a new downtown bridge and interstate connections in Louisville begins
today with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s release of the Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the Downtown Crossing of the Ohio River Bridges Project.
“We’re off and running,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “We have
moved from promises and planning to selecting a team of professionals who will help
us deliver for the people of Kentucky and Indiana.”
Three experienced teams of bridge- and highway-building professionals will spend
the next six months and invest millions of dollars developing detailed plans for
the complex project that includes building a new Interstate 65 bridge over the Ohio
River, revamping the existing Kennedy Bridge, untangling the downtown Louisville
interchange and rebuilding interstate connections in Jeffersonville and Clarksville,
Ind.
The Bridges Project, a cooperative effort by Kentucky and Indiana, will create more
than 4,000 construction-related jobs over the next six years as one of the nation’s
largest transportation improvement projects. Kentucky is overseeing the construction
and financing of the Downtown Crossing while Indiana is overseeing construction
of the East End Crossing between Prospect, Ky., and Utica, Ind.
The Downtown Crossing RFP covers nearly 500 pages of detailed project information,
requirements and instructions to solicit proposals that focus on innovative designs,
cost-saving approaches, thoughtful traffic maintenance and an inclusive workforce.
The document sets aggressive goals for the inclusion of minorities and women in
the construction workforce. The minority workforce goal is 15 percent, and the female
workforce goal is 10 percent.
“We have set the bar high and made the standard clear,” Gov. Beshear
said. “The workforce that builds this project must be a reflection of the
region.”
The RFP encourages teams to find ways to speed construction of the project, which
is estimated to take six years to build, by including financial incentives for early
completion. The winning team may receive a bonus of $40,000 a day — up to
$12 million (or about 1 percent of the estimated project cost) — for completing
construction ahead of the agreed-to deadline. However, if the deadline is not met,
the contractor may be penalized $80,000 for each day that the project is late.
The RFP is posted on the KYTC website at
http://transportation.ky.gov/Ohio-River-Bridges/Pages/default.aspx
The three teams will present their technical proposals by Oct. 1 and their cost
proposals by Nov. 15. KYTC plans to award a contract for the Downtown Crossing by
year’s end, with construction beginning in earnest in early 2013 and completion
by June 2018. The six-year construction timeline is less than half the time previously
projected for the project.
A group of KYTC evaluators reviewed the qualifications of five professional teams
and narrowed the field to three finalists on April 23:
Ohio River Transportation Constructors
Kiewit Infrastructure Co.
Traylor Brothers Inc.
Kokosing Construction Co. Inc.
Massman Construction Co.
HNTB Corp.
Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc.
Skanska Flatiron Dragados
Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc.
Flatiron Constructors Inc.
Dragados USA Inc.
URS Corp.
T.Y. Lin International
Walsh Construction
Walsh Construction Co.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
Milestone Contractors, L.P.
Buckland & Taylor Ltd.
Media Contacts:
Kerrie Richardson, (502) 564–2611 or (502) 330–6633 cell
Terry Sebastian, (502) 564–2611 or (502) 229–6130 cell
Finalists Selected for Downtown, East End Crossings of Ohio River Bridges Project
Kentucky and Indiana today announced the finalist teams that will compete over the
next several months to build the Ohio River Bridges Project, one of the nation’s
largest transportation infrastructure improvements underway.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) narrowed the list of design-build teams
from five to three. The experienced teams of bridge- and road-building professionals
are competing for a contract to build a new Interstate 65 bridge over the Ohio River
in downtown Louisville and rebuild the interstate connections on both sides of the
river.
Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
narrowed the list of potential partners from six to four. The teams – which each
have extensive experience in the design, construction and financing of large public
infrastructure projects – will compete to build the East End Crossing, which will
connect the Lee Hamilton Expressway in Clark County, Ind. with the Gene Snyder Freeway
in Jefferson County, Ky.
For more information on
the Downtown Crossing, click here..
For more information on
the East End Crossing, click here..
Kentucky, Indiana announce federal approval of Supplemental Final Environmental
Impact Statement for Ohio River Bridges Project
Implements cost-saving measures, new Record of Decision expected mid-June
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 20, 2012) – The Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River
Bridges project, designed to bring unprecedented improvements in cross-river mobility
for the entire region, took a giant step forward today with federal approval of
a new environmental impact statement.
Jose Sepulveda, Kentucky division administrator for the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA), signed the Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement (Supplemental
FEIS) for the project, which involves construction of two bridges and reconstruction
of the Kennedy interchange.
The Supplemental FEIS was required after Governors Steve Beshear of Kentucky and
Mitch Daniels of Indiana, together with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, agreed to
modifications that cut the cost of the project by $1.5 billion. Their leadership
got the long-awaited project off the drawing board and on a path to construction,
which is expected to begin before the end of the year.
"Approval of the new environmental document by FHWA is a welcome development," Kentucky
Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said. "It means we are very close to securing
a revised Record of Decision, which is one of the last steps toward federal approval
for this critical project."
"The Supplemental FEIS is the culmination of detailed studies and extensive public
involvement, which has been the hallmark of the Ohio River Bridges Project," said
Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Michael B. Cline. "Under the leadership
and historic partnership of our governors, both states have worked tirelessly over
the past 14 months to find the best way to make this long-awaited project a reality."
With the approval by Administrator Sepulveda, the Supplemental FEIS is submitted
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for publication in the Federal Register.
The final sign-off will come with federal approval of a revised Record of Decision,
which the two states expect to receive in mid-June. A Record of Decision allows
Indiana and Kentucky to invest Federal funds in the selected alternative for the
project.
The Ohio River Bridges Project, as envisioned in the original FEIS and approved
by FHWA with the 2003 Record of Decision, bore an estimated cost of $4.1 billion
before Governors Beshear and Daniels and Mayor Fischer stepped in. Their recommended
changes reduced the cost to $2.6 billion. The single most significant change involves
rebuilding the Kennedy Interchange in its current location, rather than reconstructing
it farther south. The Kennedy Interchange is where Interstates 64, 65 and 71 converge
in downtown Louisville.
In another major advance for the project, Governors Beshear and Daniels decided
to divide the procurement into roughly equal parts. Kentucky will be in charge of
constructing the Downtown Crossing and its approaches and reconstruction of the
Kennedy Interchange. Indiana will be in charge of building an East End bridge between
Utica, Ind., and Prospect, Ky., plus its approaches.
The Supplemental FEIS document will be posted on the project website soon for review
at www.kyinbridges.com.
Media Contacts:
Chuck Wolfe, KYTC, 502.564.3419, chuck.wolfe@ky.gov
Will Wingfield, INDOT, 317.233.4675,
wwingfield@indot.in.gov
INDIANAPOLIS – (April 12, 2012) – The Indiana Finance Authority and Indiana
Department of Transportation (INDOT) are pleased to publish a list of the six (6)
teams that responded to the Request for Qualifications to Design, Build, Finance
Operate and Maintain the East End Crossing (Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River
Bridges Project). Dozens of local, national and international firms with extensive
expertise in the design, construction and financing of large public infrastructure
projects partnered to form six teams.
“The Indiana Department of Transportation is honored to see responses from such
qualified and experienced companies,” said INDOT Commissioner Michael B. Cline.
The full listing can be viewed at: www.in.gov/ifa/files/SOQ_teams.pdf
“The Finance Authority will undertake a thorough review of all responses and anticipates
announcing a short list of proposers on April 23, 2012. Short-listed teams will
be invited to respond to a final request for proposals that will be due to the Finance
Authority in late October,” said Kendra York, the Public Finance Director of the
State of Indiana. The East End Crossing is part of the larger Ohio River Bridges
Project, which is a construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation project that
is vital to addressing cross-river transportation needs in the greater Louisville-Southern
Indiana region. The East End Crossing will provide additional capacity, improve
transportation efficiency and reliability, and provide safety enhancements to existing
infrastructure. Specifically, the East End Crossing will provide a new bridge across
the Ohio River connecting KY 841/I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway) in northeastern Jefferson
County, Kentucky, with SR 265 at SR 62 in southeastern Clark County, Indiana.
CONTACT:
Will Wingfield, INDOT: 317-233-4675, wwingfield@indot.in.gov
Sarah Rubin, IFA: 317-234-7701, srubin@ifa.in.gov
List will be narrowed to three by mid-April; innovation, speed, value and inclusion
will determine winning team.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 3, 2012) – Five teams of bridge- and road-building
professionals responded to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s call for firms
to build a new I-65 bridge in downtown Louisville and rebuild interstate connections
on both sides of the Ohio River.
The teams that responded to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Downtown
Crossing by Monday’s deadline include some of the leading contracting firms in the
nation. The list includes:
- Cross River Constructors LLC, a joint venture of Fluor Enterprises Inc., Acciona
Infraestructuras S.A. and The Lane Construction Company
- Kentucky Indiana Bridge Partners, a joint venture by Bechtel Infrastructure Corp.
and Tutor Perini Corp.
- Ohio River Transportation Constructors, a joint venture of Kiewit Infrastructure
Co., Traylor Brothers Inc., Kokosing Construction Co. Inc. and Massman Construction
Co.
- Skanska, Flatiron, Dragados USA
- Walsh Construction Company
A KYTC review committee will narrow the list of teams to three by mid-April. The
selection criteria include proven experience, innovative ideas, inclusion of minorities
and women in the workforce and ability to deliver the best value on schedule.
Teams will spend the summer developing specific proposals that will include innovative
concepts, technical designs and cost details.
The schedule calls for the winning team to be selected in October, allowing preliminary
construction work to begin before year’s end. The massive construction project –
which includes a new downtown I-65 bridge, overhauling the existing Kennedy Bridge,
rebuilding the downtown Louisville interchange and new interstate connections in
southern Indiana – is scheduled for completion on or before June 2018.
Media contact: Chad Carlton, chad@c2strategic.com,
(502) 777-2921
Needed for construction of East End crossing in Jefferson County
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 16, 2012) – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)
has contracted for purchase of the historic Drumanard Estate in Jefferson County,
taking a significant step toward realization of a long-sought East End Bridge over
the Ohio River.
The cabinet will pay $8.3 million for the approximately 50-acre property owned by
Soterion Corp. Closing of the purchase is to occur on or before April 17.
An East End Bridge connecting Prospect, Ky., and Utica, Ind., is part of the Louisville-Southern
Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project. Kentucky and Indiana are splitting the project
into two procurements – Indiana contracting for the East End crossing and Kentucky
contracting for a downtown Louisville bridge and approaches on both sides of the
Ohio River.
Under terms of the Record of Decision for the project, the approach to the East
End Bridge will be tunneled beneath the Drumanard property. KYTC will place a preservation
easement on the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Media contact: Chuck.Wolfe@ky.gov, KYTC
Office of Public Affairs, (502) 564-3419
INDIANAPOLIS, IN –The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) in coordination with
the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), has released a Request for Qualifications
to Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain the East End Crossing (Louisville-Southern
Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project) (RFQ).
Interested bidders are required to submit their response to the RFQ by 3 p.m. EST,
on April 9, 2012.
The RFQ may be found on the IFA website at www.in.gov/ifa/2331.htm.
Media Contacts:
Will Wingfield, INDOT, (317) 233-4675, wwingfield@indot.in.gov
Sarah Rubin, Project Manager, (317) 234-7701, srubin@ifa.in.gov
Link to
final Downtown RFQ
March 8, 2012 – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has finalized guidelines
for selecting three teams that will compete to build a new I-65 bridge in downtown
Louisville and rebuild interstate connections on both sides of the Ohio River.
The cabinet issued the final version of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) following
comments and questions received during the pre-bid phase of the project. This document
seeks design-build teams of bridge- and road-building professionals that will be
judged on their proven experience, innovative ideas, inclusion of minorities and
women in the workforce and ability to deliver the best value on schedule.
More than 700 professionals attended a March 1 pre-bid meeting at the Kentucky International
Convention Center to gain information and ask questions about the downtown portion
of the project.
Responses to the RFQ are due by April 2. The cabinet will select the three competing
finalists by April 16. Teams will spend the summer developing specific proposals
that will include innovative concepts, technical designs and cost details.
The schedule calls for the winning team to be selected in October, allowing preliminary
construction work to begin before year’s end. The massive construction project –
which includes a new downtown I-65 bridge, overhauling the existing Kennedy Bridge,
rebuilding the downtown Louisville interchange and new interstate connections in
southern Indiana – is scheduled for completion on or before June 30, 2018.
To spur competition among the finalists, KYTC will offer $1.5 million stipends to
the two teams not selected for the project. KYTC will retain all innovative concepts
developed by the teams for possible use by the selected bidder. This best-practice
approach has been used successfully in other states to lower overall project costs,
spur innovation and speed construction.
The construction in downtown Louisville is part of the larger, bi-state project
in which a bridge also will be built to link I-265 in eastern Jefferson County with
Indiana Route 265 near Utica, Ind. The project is a cooperative effort of KYTC,
the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and
the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority.
On March 5, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a
Memorandum of Understanding that outlines each state’s terms and responsibilities
for financing and building the new bridges. The two states negotiated a term sheet
that forms the basis for the MOU and the project’s financial plan.
The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority and the Kentucky Public Transportation
Infrastructure Authority approved the financing plan at separate meetings on March
5.
INDIANA, KENTUCKY GOVERNORS AGREE ON PLAN TO PAY FOR TWO NEW BRIDGES ACROSS OHIO
RIVER
March 5, 2012 – The governors of Indiana and Kentucky have forged an historic
agreement to pay for two new bridges across the Ohio River. Construction will begin
before year’s end and is expected to be completed within six years at a cost $1.5
billion less than originally projected.
“Through cooperation and determination, we will achieve what this region has talked
about – but been unable to deliver – for four decades,” said Kentucky Gov. Steve
Beshear.
The governors opened today’s meeting of the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges
Authority by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines each state’s
terms and responsibilities for financing and building the new bridges.
“Decades of waiting for greater convenience and quality of life in the metro area
will soon be over, but that’s only part of what’s ahead: Southern Indiana has tremendous
economic prospects and these new bridges are the key to making them real,” said
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Click
here for more information
Kentucky issues Notice of Intent for project’s downtown phase
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is seeking teams of contractors to design and
build a new downtown Louisville bridge, a modernized downtown interchange and improved
I-65 connections to Southern Indiana. The Cabinet has issued a notice of intent
for the downtown portion of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project.
This is the first step to procurement of Kentucky’s half of the project, a bi-state
partnership with the State of Indiana to build two new bridges and enhance interstate
connections that will improve safety, congestion and mobility for the region. Contractor
teams from around the region, nation and world are invited to attend a pre-bid meeting
beginning at 10 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 1, at the Kentucky International Convention
Center in Louisville. Kentucky plans to award a design-build contract by October
2012 and anticipates construction to be complete by June 2018.
Click here for more information.
Dec. 29, 2011 - Kentucky and Indiana have reached consensus on a basic plan
to finance and build the Ohio River Bridges Project, keeping the project on target
to begin construction in 2012.
Under an agreement in principle reached by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Indiana
Gov. Mitch Daniels and leaders of the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority,
each state would take the lead in financing and overseeing construction of one half
of the project, among the largest transportation projects in the United States.
Read More »
November 2011 - An updated environmental review recommends a cost-saving
approach for building two new bridges and rebuilding the downtown Louisville interchange
– setting the stage for construction to begin next year.
The cost-saving approach recommended for study in January by Kentucky Gov. Steve
Beshear, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer would reduce
the project cost by an estimated $1.2 billion. The approach, evaluated over the
past 9 months, is the preferred alternative in the federally approved Supplemental
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS).
Read More »
June 2011 - The cost of the Ohio River Bridges Project could be reduced by
at least $1.2 billion with changes such as those recommended earlier this year by
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Louisville Mayor Greg
Fischer, an in-depth analysis by the Bi-State Management Team has concluded.
"We are committed on both sides of the river to build these bridges as quickly as
we can, at the lowest cost possible," Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said. "The project
team's detailed analysis showing a much higher estimated savings is great news for
our citizens. I'm excited about the project's continued momentum and the enormous
beneficial impact it will have for our communities."
Read More »
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - (April 6, 2011) The Ohio River Bridges Project will host
a series of public meetings as part of the year-long federal review process necessary
before construction work can begin on two new bridges and rebuilding the downtown
Louisville interchange.
Eight meetings will be scheduled in June as part of the federally prescribed process
known as a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which will study
changes and environmental effects not considered during the original review, said
Bridges Project Manager John Sacksteder.
Read More »
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - (April 1, 2011) Directional horizontal drilling is underway
in eastern Jefferson County, Ky., where workers are gathering geotechnical data
needed for construction of a pair of 2,000-foot-long tunnels, which are part of
the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project. This unique and cost-effective
method for gathering data will help engineering firms and contractors submit accurate
bids when it's time to let the tunnels.
Each drill bit is four inches in diameter and 10-feet long. The head of the bit
is controlled by a computer, allowing it to make gentle turns in various directions.
The drill rig is set up several hundred feet from the face of the proposed tunnel
on the east side of U.S. 42. There will be three borings going under U.S. 42 and
the historic Drumanard Estate and extending approximately 2,000 feet to near the
exit points of the twin tunnels. The process is expected to take four to six months.
Read More »
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