A Portal to Future Collaboration: Connecting Public-Private Interests and Mitigating Risk on Complex Infrastructure Projects The Port of Miami (Florida, USA) and Midtown (Virginia, USA) Tunnel Projects Kyung Min Lee Tel: 571-243-4865. Email:
[email protected] George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201, United States Chang Kwon Tel: 709-993-8164 Email:
[email protected] George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201, United States John E. Gudgel (Corresponding author) Tel: 703-362-2684 Email:
[email protected] George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201, United States (DRAFT – August 13, 2013) Abstract This case study examines how public-private partnership (P3) contractual agreements are being used to implement two complex underwater tunnels in the United States – the Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) in Miami-Dade County in southeast Florida, and the Midtown (Elizabeth River) Tunnel Corridor (MTC) project in the Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia. Both P3 contracts require the concessionaire to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain (DBFOM) the project facilities; however the POMT concessionaire is compensated through availability payments, while the MTCP concessionaire is receives payment through the collection of tolls. The POMT project is on schedule for opening in May 2014, while the POMT has encountered legal challenges to its toll concession which expose the Commonwealth of Virginia to financial liability, threatening their ability to deliver the Midtown Tunnel and potentially jeopardizing other Virginia PPTA and toll projects. This paper looks at P3 legislation and transportation planning in both Florida and Virginia, and at the opportunities, risks, and lessons learned from utilizing P3 contractual agreements on these complex infrastructure projects.