Responses expected to help inform delivery model selection for Bridges Project
Louisville, KY — Today, the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority issued a Request for Information (RFI) as it continues its work to identify a preferred delivery model for the Ohio River Bridges Project, which could provide additional cost savings and allow the project to be completed sooner than originally planned. The RFI is targeted towards the construction and developer industries and will be used by the Authority to help plan and structure the procurement process for the Project.
According to Charles Buddeke, chair of the Bridges Authority, the Project has the potential to become a national model for addressing large multi-state infrastructure needs and is being carefully watched by other communities that are facing similar challenges.
Kerry Stemler, the Authority’s co-chair and chair of the finance and construction planning committee, agrees.
“The Industry Forum we held earlier this year was one of the first opportunities we had to validate the private sector’s interest in this project and confirm the widely held belief that additional cost savings, through innovation and an expedited construction schedule, are possible,” said Stemler. “Since then, we have consistently heard that market interest in our project continues to be very strong. The RFI provides another opportunity to receive information from the private sector that will help ensure we’re on a path toward a bankable structure that will be well-received in the marketplace.”
The Authority approved moving forward with an RFI at its July meeting. Since that time, working with the two states and its advisory team, the group has been focused on completing an analysis that will aid in selecting a project delivery approach, which will provide the framework for the financing and construction terms of the project.
Steve Schultz, executive director for the Authority, said that information obtained through the RFI will help the Authority confirm or refine certain assumptions the team is using in the process of evaluating various options.
Schultz also said that information about the RFI was sent to the more than 800 industry representatives who registered for the Industry Forum, which was held in February by the Authority, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Indiana Department of Transportation, as well as to other firms that have expressed an interest in the project. A copy of the RFI can also be obtained by visiting www.bridgesauthority.com.
Responses to the RFI are due to the Authority by September 30. A summary of the findings will be shared with the Authority at its October 6 meeting. The RFI is not a solicitation of qualifications or proposals, nor does it constitute the commencement of any other procurement process for the Project.
