I-35 North Tarrant Express “Accelerated Elements” November 2017
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I-35 North Tarrant Express “Accelerated Elements” November 2017 Project Name: I-35W North Tarrant Express “Accelerated Elements” Was an INFRA application for this project submitted previously? Yes If yes, what was the name of the project in the previous application? I-35W North Tarrant Express Previously Incurred Project Cost $67,000,000 Future Eligible Project Cost $845,900,000 Total Project Cost (Sum of the two previous rows) $912,900,000 INFRA Request $83,000,000 Total Federal Funding (including INFRA) $374,200,000 Are matching funds restricted to a specific project component? If so, Yes, ROW acquisition, which one? U-Turn Bridges, and Mark IV Parkway improvements Is the project or a portion of the project currently located on National Yes Highway Freight Network? Is the project or a portion of the project located on the National Highway Yes System? Does the project add capacity to the Interstate system? Yes Is the project in a national scenic area? No Do the project components include a railway-highway grade crossing or No grade separation project? Do the project components include an intermodal or freight rail project, or freight project within boundaries of a public or private freight rail, water, or No intermodal facility? If answered yes to either of the two component questions above, how much of requested INFRA funds will be spent on each of these projects NA components? State(s) in which project is located. Texas Small or large project Large Urbanized Area in which project is located, if applicable. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Population of Urbanized Area. 7,102,796 Is the project currently programmed in the: • TIP? Yes • STIP? Yes • MPO Long Range Transportation Plan? Yes • State Long Range Transportation Plan? Yes • State Freight Plan? Yes Table of Contents 1. Project Description ................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 The North Tarrant Express Managed Lanes Project ................................................................... 5 1.2 The Accelerated Elements .......................................................................................................... 6 2. Project Location ........................................................................................................................ 8 3. Project Parties ........................................................................................................................... 8 4. Grant Funds and Sources and Uses of All Project Funds ..................................................... 9 4.1 Previously Incurred Expenses ..................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Future Eligible Costs, Sources and Uses, and Budget ................................................................ 9 4.3 Stable and Reliable Fund Commitments ................................................................................... 10 4.4 Contingency Reserves .............................................................................................................. 11 4.5 Effect on $500 Million Maximum ............................................................................................... 11 5. Merit Criteria ............................................................................................................................ 12 5.1 Support for National or Regional Economic Vitality ................................................................... 12 5.2 Leveraging of Federal Funding ................................................................................................. 15 5.3 Potential for Innovation ............................................................................................................. 17 5.4 Performance and Accountability ................................................................................................ 20 6. Project Readiness ................................................................................................................... 21 6.1 Technical Feasibility .................................................................................................................. 21 6.2 Project Schedule ....................................................................................................................... 21 6.3 Required Approvals ................................................................................................................... 22 7. Large/Small Project Requirements ........................................................................................ 24 7.1 The project generates national or regional economic, mobility, safety benefits. ........................ 24 7.2 The project is cost effective. ...................................................................................................... 24 7.3 The project contributes to one or more of the Goals listed under 23 USC 150. ........................ 24 7.4 The project is based on the results of preliminary engineering. ................................................ 25 7.5 The project has one or more stable and dependable funding or financing sources. ................. 25 7.6 The project is expected to begin construction no later than 18 months from obligation. ........... 25 Executive Summary The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) submits this application for $83 million in Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant funding to advance the final construction elements of a 10 year economically vital phased plan of highly leveraged public-private improvements, known as the North Tarrant Express (NTE). The NTE encompasses approximately 31 miles of variably priced managed lanes and other highway improvements critical for enhanced safety, mobility and technology advancements. These final “Accelerated Elements” are integral to unlocking the economic vitality of the Interstate (I) Highway 35W corridor, the north-south portion of the NTE, and to improving safety and mobility within the corridor. Critical Support for Economic Vitality An essential north-south highway freight corridor in the United States, I-35 extends from the US border with Mexico in Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota. One of the most important stretches of I-35, and the subject of TxDOT’s state-of-the-art public-private partnership (P3) (the I-35W NTE Partnership), is the portion of I-35W that runs through the heart of Fort Worth within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Census-designated Urbanized Area (ID 22042) and north into Tarrant County. The I-35W NTE serves as the lifeline for the entire Urbanized Area, connecting one of the world’s largest inland ports, the Alliance, Texas, Global Logistics Hub, with major employers, communities and other transportation systems, including rail and air. These include the following nationally critical air/highway/rail commerce connections: • The Alliance Airport, the world’s first industrial airport; • The BNSF Alliance Intermodal Facility; • The Union Pacific and BNSF Class-1 rail lines; • The FedEx Southwest Regional Sort Hub; • Other major employment centers, such as UPS and Amazon; • DFW International Airport and the warehouse and logistics centers in Grapevine; • Interconnections with Interstate Highways 20, 30 and 40, important east-west interstate freight corridors offering access to our nation’s coastal ports. I-35 is a prominent piece of the Texas Freight Network. Its importance is highlighted in the Texas Freight Mobility Plan which can be found: https://www.dot.state.tx.us/move-texas-freight/studies/freight-plan.htm For the last decade, TxDOT and other agencies have been focused on economic development, successfully investing over $5.3 billion in essential highway infrastructure improvements in this key I-35 commerce corridor. The investments have worked, resulting in dramatic increases in truck and other traffic mobility, fueling regional gross domestic product and employment growth. 1 Major Leveraging of Federal Funding To date TxDOT has leveraged billions of dollars in private financing for the NTE through toll-concession public-private partnerships, attracting the first equity investment from a US pension fund in a US P3, and accessing billions of dollars in TIFIA financing. For these reasons, TxDOT’s improvements to the NTE serve as the leading model in North America for toll P3s. TxDOT and its private partner are developing the I- 35W NTE in three segments – Segments 3A, 3B and 3C. Segments 3A and 3B are a combined $1.64 billion, 9.5-mile project that includes the reconstruction of general purpose lanes and addition of two tolled managed lanes per direction along I- 35W from I-30 in downtown Fort Worth north to I- 820, and from I-820 north to US 287 (Figure E-1). Segment 3A is currently under construction. Segment 3B is open. Segment 3C is a $845.9 million, 7-mile project from US 287 north to Eagle Parkway near Fort Worth Alliance Airport that includes two tolled managed lane in each direction. TxDOT is currently in negotiations with its private partner to include Segment 3C as part of the NTE Partnership. TxDOT has accessed every source of capital available to achieve the I-35W NTE. The requested $83 million INFRA grant will not displace or substitute for state, local and private funds, as those sources are already maximized. The $83 million of INFRA funding will leverage the I-35W NTE’s combined $2.271 billion in improvements, to facilitate economic Figure E-1: I-35W NTE Segments development of regional and national significance.