Team Selected to Replace 558 State Bridges

PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch announced that Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners was selected for the department’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, a Public-Private Partnership (P3) to replace 558 bridges across the state.

The team, which included 11 Pennsylvania-based subcontractors in its proposal, must begin construction in summer 2015 and complete the replacements within 36 months.

The commonwealth retains ownership of the bridges, but the team is responsible for maintaining each bridge for 25 years after its replacement.

“This initiative reflects Governor Corbett’s strong commitment to taking innovative steps to bring improvements to the state’s roads and bridges more quickly and at reasonable cost,” Schoch said. “This agreement helps Pennsylvania take a big step to cutting further into its backlog of structurally deficient bridges.”

Nearly a dozen bridges in Armstrong County are on that list - including those along Carnahan Run, Glade Run, Cowanshannock Creek, Cherry Run, Roaring Run and Buffalo Creek.

The team’s $899 million proposal was selected based on scoring that considered cost, financial capability to carry out the project, background and experience in managing comparable projects, and understanding of the project. The project will cost an average of $65 million annually for the 28-year contract term.

The average cost for design, construction and maintenance per bridge in the project is $1.6 million. Through PennDOT’s standard process, the cost to design, construct and maintain a bridge for 28 years would be an average of more than $2 million.

“The goal for this project is not only finding cost savings, but also to minimize
impact to the traveling public,” Schoch said. “This team has thoroughly detailed
their traffic control plans and expects to finish construction eight months earlier
than required.”

Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners will manage the bridges’ design, construction and maintenance under the contract. The team is responsible for financing the effort and PennDOT will make performance-based payments based on the contractor’s adherence to the contract terms. PennDOT will be responsible for routine maintenance, such as snow plowing and debris removal.

The Rapid Bridge Replacement Project was approved by the state’s P3 Board in September 2013.

To see the bridges included in the initiative and to learn more about the Rapid
Bridge Replacement Project and P3 in Pennsylvania, visit
www.P3forPA.pa.gov