One of the four teams being considered to deliver improvements to more than 800 of Missouri's worst bridges has withdrawn from the procurement process. Advanced Bridge Infrastructure Group (ABI) has notified the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that it will not pursue the Design-Build-Finance-Maintain contract that will be awarded this summer.
The team selected will replace or improve more than 800 bridges on the MoDOT system by the end of 2012, then maintain them in good condition for a minimum of 25 years.
In a letter to Safe & Sound Project Director Ken Warbritton, ABI's Mike McGuinty said his team was withdrawing from the competition because it had been unable to attract a major contractor to lead the construction element of the program. Bilfinger Berger BOT of Markham, Ontario, was the lead member of the ABI team, joined by Parsons Transportation Group (Pasadena, Calif./St. Louis), VMS (Richmond, Va.) and DEPFA Bank (Dublin, Ireland).
"We are disappointed to see ABI withdraw from the Safe & Sound program," Project Director Ken Warbritton said. "They brought a lot of experience with similar projects to the table, but we respect their decision. MoDOT still has three highly qualified teams competing for this contract and we are confident they will submit innovative proposals that will give Missouri a project of great value."
MoDOT also announced a change in the makeup of another team. John Laing Infrastructure has joined Team United as a major participant.
The other teams being considered for the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program are Missouri Bridge Partners and Partnership Missouri. For more information, visit the project website at www.modot.mo.gov/safeandsound.
