News Release

                                                                                                                      July 28, 2016

 

PA Turnpike Seeks Legal, Financial Consultants for Guidance during Broadband P3
Commission solicits proposals from firms with expertise in transportation P3s.

 

HARRISBURG, PA — PA Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton announced today that the commission has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for legal and financial consultants to provide professional assistance during its broadband network Public-Private Partnership (P3) project. The commission hopes to enter into separate contracts with a law firm and a financial advisory firm with expertise in transportation P3s.

“Projects like this require advisors with specialized know-how in P3 agreements; certainly, we want to hire qualified consultants to structure a transaction that complies with the state’s P3 Law,” Compton said. “These advisors will guide us through the procurement and postā€procurement phases and ensure that the outcome is the most advantageous, long-term agreement for the commission.”

Compton said the legal and financial services RFP was recently posted on the PA Turnpike web page, www.paturnpike.com. To view the document, click “Doing Business,” then click “Procurement,” then select “RFPs.” Then click on the heading, “Other Professional Services RFPs.”

“Because of an aggressive development schedule, we are looking to have advisors on board quickly; as a result, the proposal deadline is Aug. 18,” Compton said. “From there, proposals will be evaluated and awards made sometime in mid to late October.”

On June 9, Pennsylvania’s P3 Board approved the Turnpike’s proposal to initiate a P3 with a private entity to install a broadband network within Turnpike right-of-way that will supply communication capacity for the commission and other commonwealth needs. The Turnpike seeks a private partner to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a fiber network along the 550-mile system. In addition, the partner will design and install a wireless mesh overlay and market and lease excess network capacity.

By the end of the year, the Turnpike expects to advertise for statements of qualification from interested development entities indicating their ability to partner on the broadband network P3. The Turnpike hopes to have a P3 agreement in place next fall so network construction can begin in 2018.

The Turnpike is pursuing a P3 model because bonding the construction of a broadband network would take resources from critical improvements such as road reconstruction and widening projects. The partnership also leverages private-sector expertise in installing, operating, marketing and maintaining broadband networks in a region that could be attractive to private-sector connections in metropolitan areas.

MEDIA CONTACT: Carl DeFebo, 717-831-7176https://www.dot.state.pa.us/icons/ecblank.gifhttps://www.dot.state.pa.us/icons/ecblank.gif