This article is part of a daily series of MegaProjects articles. If you want to know more about PPP projects with a considerable size visit our MegaProjects section. You can receive them by email on a daily basis.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for the I-495/I-95 (Capital Beltway) and the I-270 Congestion Relief Improvements.

Congestion is significant impediment to economic opportunities and the quality of life within Maryland’s Baltimore-Washington corridors. MDOT is seeking comments on potential innovative solutions for addressing the congestion and innovative methods to finance the congestion relief solutions.

The opportunity to transfer functions normally undertaken by MDOT (financing, design development, construction, operations, and maintenance) to the private sector is being considered to generate innovative design and financing concepts along with accelerated project delivery and minimization of impacts to right-of-way.

MDOT is considering offering a toll concession to developers for added capacity the developers provide to I-495 or I-270. Under a toll concession for additional capacity, current capacity on I-495 and on I- 270 shall remain free. Only users of the additional capacity would pay user fees. The desire of MDOT would be that any private agreement not require a financial contribution directly from the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund and that the agreement would provide a concession payment to MDOT upon financial close.

Maryland has the second longest commuting times in the nation, and Maryland’s Baltimore-Washington corridors are the most congested in the nation based on annual delay and congestion per auto-commuter. I-495/I-95 (Capital Beltway) and I-270 in Maryland are the two most heavily traveled freeways in the region, each carrying more than 200,000 daily trips.

I-495 is the only circumferential route in the region that provides interregional connections to many radial routes to and from Maryland’s Baltimore-Washington corridors, such as I-270, US 29, I-95, MD 295, US 50, MD 4, MD 5, MD 210, and I-295 in Maryland.

I-270 is the only freeway link between I-495 and the fast-growing northwest suburbs and the City of Frederick. In addition to heavy commuter traffic demand, I-270 is also the predominant route for freight and long-distance travel between Maryland’s metropolitan Washington corridors and points west.

According to sources, both projects have a combined estimated value of US$7.6 billion.

Responses are requested by December 20, 2017; however, responses will be accepted after this date. The RFI can be downloaded here.

MDOT will be providing additional opportunities for industry outreach in the future, including an Industry Forum.