The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has announced it will procure public-private partnership (P3) agreements for transportation improvement projects solely through GDOT-solicited proposals.

“Focusing on solicited projects will allow the department to advance its P3 program in a manner that is well thought out, systematic and in accordance with our overall transportation plans,” GDOT Commissioner Vance C. Smith Jr. said. “Also, a solicited P3 program allows us to maximize private-sector competition and tap into an evolving industry focused on innovative project delivery. This approach will deliver the absolute best value to the department and the citizens of Georgia.”

Legislation (Senate Bill 200) adopted by the Georgia General Assembly earlier this year mandated that all future P3 projects be solicited by the department (meaning projects are to be specifically identified and private-sector proposals specifically requested by GDOT). In light of this new legislation, Georgia DOT has decided for business reasons to focus its entire P3 program on a solicited process and therefore not pursue six unsolicited proposals received prior to Senate Bill 200’s adoption. Companies proposing those projects have been notified the department will no longer consider their proposals. On one such project, the Northwest Corridor of I-75/I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties, GDOT has terminated its developer services agreement with the project’s proposer, Georgia Transportation Partners.

That three-year-old agreement provided GDOT with an examination of a variety of possible improvements for the Northwest Corridor as well as crucial environmental information that the department will be able to utilize in future corridor work.

“We’ve advanced the work significantly and narrowed potential solutions for the Northwest Corridor, giving us the building blocks to deliver a project on terms that make the best sense,” Smith said, adding that improving mobility in this area remains a GDOT priority.

Georgia DOT has created a new P3 Division. The DOT currently is in the process of refining the framework for its P3 program. GDOT leadership continues to consult and work with the State Transportation Board, has met with members of Georgia’s legislature and transportation partners and is preparing to work with industry professionals and the public as the rules implementing the P3 program are finalized. GDOT expects to initiate a solicitation for its first P3 project by late spring or early summer 2010.