"The NTTA is getting one more chance to bid because lawmakers believe it wasn't given a fair shot the first time."
Agency gains projects in retreat from privatization
4/13/07
Gordon Dickaon
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copyright 2007
ARLINGTON-The Regional Transportation Council took a step back from privately built toll roads and assigned several toll projects to the North Texas Tollway Authority on Thursday.
The tollway authority, which is made up of Metroplex officials, is already in charge of building Southwest Parkway from downtown Fort Worth to Cleburne.
The RTC has also asked the tollway authority to submit a bid for the Texas 121 toll road in Denton and Collin counties by May 25.
The project is in limbo because the Texas Department of Transportation selected the private Spanish firm Cintra to build and operate the toll road.
But the authority is getting one more chance to bid because lawmakers believe it wasn't given a fair shot the first time.
The authority was assigned:
Texas 170 in the Alliance area, from Texas 114 in Roanoke to U.S. 287.
A Texas 360/161 connector road in Grand Prairie.
Texas 161 in Grand Prairie.
Trinity project, downtown Dallas.
Dallas North Tollway north extension.
Texas 190 from Texas 78 to Interstate 20.
RTC members said they expect the tollway authority to follow the same ground rules as Cintra in its Texas 121 bid, including a pledge to pay a fee for the right to collect tolls for up to 50 years -- 75 percent of it upfront.
Cintra had promised $2.1 billion upfront, which Metroplex officials planned to spend on other road projects.
Gordon Dickson, 817-685-3816 gdickson@star-telegram.com
© 2007 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: www.star-telegram.com
To search TTC News Archives clickHERE
4/13/07
Gordon Dickaon
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copyright 2007
ARLINGTON-The Regional Transportation Council took a step back from privately built toll roads and assigned several toll projects to the North Texas Tollway Authority on Thursday.
The tollway authority, which is made up of Metroplex officials, is already in charge of building Southwest Parkway from downtown Fort Worth to Cleburne.
The RTC has also asked the tollway authority to submit a bid for the Texas 121 toll road in Denton and Collin counties by May 25.
The project is in limbo because the Texas Department of Transportation selected the private Spanish firm Cintra to build and operate the toll road.
But the authority is getting one more chance to bid because lawmakers believe it wasn't given a fair shot the first time.
The authority was assigned:
Texas 170 in the Alliance area, from Texas 114 in Roanoke to U.S. 287.
A Texas 360/161 connector road in Grand Prairie.
Texas 161 in Grand Prairie.
Trinity project, downtown Dallas.
Dallas North Tollway north extension.
Texas 190 from Texas 78 to Interstate 20.
RTC members said they expect the tollway authority to follow the same ground rules as Cintra in its Texas 121 bid, including a pledge to pay a fee for the right to collect tolls for up to 50 years -- 75 percent of it upfront.
Cintra had promised $2.1 billion upfront, which Metroplex officials planned to spend on other road projects.
Gordon Dickson, 817-685-3816 gdickson@star-telegram.com
© 2007 Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
To search TTC News Archives click
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Friday, April 13, 2007
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