Private investment heats up in Ariz.

Ever since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation into law back in July that would allow public-private partnerships in the state, potential suitors have been circling.

Arizona faces a double whammy: its population continues to explode and there is not enough funding to keep up with the growth. The Arizona Department of Transportation is expected to put the rules behind public-private partnerships in place sometime next week.

The Federal Highway Administration has listed five interstate candidates that could be tolled in the future. All five routes circle the Phoenix area. In the meantime, however, transportation planners say Arizona will need to invest tens of billions of dollars in its highway infrastructure.

Even though the prospect of private dollars seems promising, a healthy debate continues to unfold in Arizona.

“Public officials hand significant control over transportation policy to individuals who are accountable to their shareholders rather than to the public,” Diane Brown, executive director of the Arizona Public Interest Research, told The Arizona Republic.

“People who have reviewed this legislation say it is one of the best to work with,” ADOT Director John Halikowski told The Arizona Republic.