PennDOT picks construction group for bridge-tolling project

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has picked a consortium of companies to manage construction on as many as nine major interstate bridges in Pennsylvania — upgrades on the aging spans that are to be paid for by tolls under the administration’s current plan.

Wolf’s push for tolling comes as states increasingly look to user fees to make up for declining gas tax revenue. However, it has spurred opposition from some communities and Republican lawmakers, who say it will be costly to locals and businesses and create congestion.

It also comes amid rising gas prices.

Wolf’s Department of Transportation selected the group from among three finalists but also said Wednesday that it has not decided which of the nine bridges it will toll.

The winning application includes three international firms: U.S.-based subsidiaries of Israel-based Shikun & Binui, a development subsidiary of Australia-based Macquarie Group and Spanish construction firm FCC Construccion.

The application includes four other firms that specialize in design or heavy construction and that have U.S.-based parent companies with a headquarters in Pennsylvania.

Republican lawmakers have countered that the Wolf administration could instead use billions in federal infrastructure aid or borrow the money from the federal government. But PennDOT has said neither helps fix a long-term gap of billions of dollars.

PennDOT and the consortium — called Bridging Pennsylvania Partners — will now enter into a “predevelopment agreement” to finalize the design and packaging of the bridges to be built, financed and maintained, PennDOT said.

All construction work is mandated to be performed by contractors prequalified for work in Pennsylvania, and at least 65% of the construction work will be subcontracted, PennDOT said.

The nine candidate bridges are I-78’s Lenhartsville Bridge in Berks County; I-79’s bridges over Route 50 in Allegheny County; I-80’s bridges across Canoe Creek in Clarion County, Nescopeck Creek in Luzerne County, North Fork in Jefferson County and the Lehigh River, near Wilkes-Barre; I-81 over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania; I-83’s South Bridge across the Susquehanna River, a mile from the state Capitol; and Girard Point Bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia.