The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has announced the four projects that have been identified for further development and validation through the USACE Civil Works Public-Private Partnership (P3) Pilot Program.

The four identified projects are:

• Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement, TX
• LA River Ecosystem Restoration, CA
• Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management, TX
• Soo Locks, MI

USACE may identify one additional project for further development and validation at a future date.

USACE applied specific screening criteria to identify the four P3 pilot candidates from the eight project-specific proposals submitted in response to the Feb. 1, 2019, Federal Register Request for Information. The pilot candidates will be further developed and validated to determine their potential to become P3 pilot projects.

The goal of the pilot program is to demonstrate the viability of new delivery methods that can significantly reduce the cost and time of project delivery.  The program is part of the Revolutionize USACE Civil Works initiative to expedite delivery of our nation's infrastructure by synchronizing actions, developing new tools and streamlining activities.

A P3 generally refers to a long-term contractual relationship between a public sector contracting authority and a private sector entity for the financing and delivery of public infrastructure and/or the provision of public services.  A P3 can be done as any combination of design, build, finance, operate and/or maintain.