Six teams have submitted qualification documents for the Fargo-Moorhead flood prevention PPP project.

In July, the Flood Diversion Board of Authority authorized the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that invited respondents to submit their qualifications to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Public-Private Partnership (P3) portion of the FM Area Diversion Project in the United States.

The project involves the development of a diversion channel and associated infrastructure work package (DCAI WP). It consists of a 58 km long and 460 m wide diversion channel, 2 aqueducts, 2 river inlets, various local drainage inlets, the channel outfall, 4 railroad bridges, 4 interstate highway bridges, and 10 county road bridges, as well as associated environmental mitigation and recreational features. The goal is to reduce flood risk associated with a long history of frequent flooding on local streams in the area.

Of the entire project’s estimated US$2.2 billion cost, the winning PPP bidder’s share of the work is worth US$763 million.

The names of firms that constitute the teams have not been disclosed yet, but the names of the the six consortia are:

• Red River Partners led by Parsons.
• Red River Alliance led by Acciona Concessions Management.
• Red River Valley Partners led by Plenary Group.
• Red River Infrastructure Solutions led by ACS Infrastructure Development.
• Red River Valley Alliance led by Macquarie Group.
• Lake Agassiz Partners led by Meridiam.

The consortia have submitted to the Diversion Authority their qualifications to compete for the project. The authority plans to narrow the list and ask the finalists to submit bids. 

In late June, we reported that the Moorhead City Council, in Minnesota (USA), approved a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the PPP project. This was anticipated since, in February, the USACE added the FM Area Diversion Project to its 2016 work plan. 

The project will utilize a split delivery approach. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use traditional design-bid-build methods for construction of the Southern Embankment and the Diversion Authority will use a P3 approach for the Diversion Channel.