On May 8th, 2013, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) approved a $632 million dollar design-build contract for the SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project. The design-builder is a joint venture between Atkinson Contractors, LP and Walsh Construction Company. URS is the team’s lead designer.
RCTC had previously pre-qualified 4 teams for the project and issued the RFP on July 26, 2012: The 4 pre-qualified teams were: Atkinson/Walsh, a joint venture; Flatiron/Skanska/Rados, a joint venture; Shimmick/Obayashi/FNF, a joint venture; and Kiewit Infrastructure West.
RCTC’s selection of the Atkinson/Walsh joint venture was the culmination of a best value procurement and evaluation of proposals received from the four prequalified proposers. The best value selection criteria included the combination of a net present value price score and a technical proposal score as well as an adjustment to the price score based on completion schedule. Atkinson/Walsh’s design and construction price is $140 million lower than RCTC’s engineer’s estimate. In addition, all proposers proposed a schedule duration of 1218 days, 10 months earlier than the outside completion deadline set by RCTC.
The project is being developed under California’s Design-Build Demonstration Program authorized by legislation passed in 2009. The project will widen State Route 91 with the addition of new freeway lanes, toll/express lanes extending the existing SR-91 express lanes into Riverside County, expanded freeway-to-freeway connectors and better access to and from the freeway at congested locations. The toll lanes will connect to the existing SR-91 Express Lanes operated by Orange County Transportation Authority and provide drivers with a seamless tolled express lane from I-15 to SR-55. RCTC is developing the project in cooperation with Caltrans. Upon completion of the project, RCTC will operate and maintain the toll facilities for a period of 50 years.
The project will be financed through a combination of toll revenue bonds, sales tax bonds and an approximately $416 million dollar TIFIA loan from USDOT.
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