W.C. Benton & Associates

Public Private Partnerships

EEO officers and other field personnel in the DOT bureaucracy typically administer the compliance function. However, with the advent of Public Private Partnerships (P3) and other non-traditional funding, DOT project owners have begun to outsource compliance oversight and administration to private consultants. A P3 is an innovative project delivery system that involves a contractual arrangement between public agencies and private entities.  It allows for greater private sector participation and is typically structured to include one or more financing and/or construction components. The East End Crossing/Louisville Ohio River Bridges, a more complex P3 arrangement with many components, was constructed pursuant to an availability-payment design-build-finance-operate-maintain concession between the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Finance Authority and the developer, Walsh Vinci Bilfinger (WVB). The agreement included a four-year construction period and 35 year operating term. FHWA provided Federal funds, served as a technical advisor, and had oversight of all applicable laws, regulations, and policies.