ACCIONA, has been awarded with the Innovation of the Year Award and the Community Impact of the Year Award for the I-10 Calcasieu Bridge project, in Louisiana. These two awards recognizethe equity-sharing structure and long-term improvements to safety, mobility, and regional access of the new I-10 Calcasieu Bridge project.

Additionally, the SR400 Express Lanes highway, in Atlanta, Georgia has been awarded with the Innovation of the YearAward for introducing a new risk-sharing model that improved design outcomes and unlocked additional public funding.

The awards ceremony took place during the P3 division's conference luncheon held this Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
ARTBA annual P3 Awards program honours individuals, projects, organizations and ideas that demonstrate outstanding achievement in the establishment and delivery of U.S. transportation P3 projects.

 
I-10 CALCASIEU BRIDGE

Valued at $1.3 USD billion, this project is the largest and most complex public-private partnership (P3) undertaken in the state. The project scope includes the reconstruction of a six-lane highway, the construction of multiple structures, including the new bridge, implementation of a free-flow tolling system, and the demolition of the existing bridge.

In collaboration with Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the project utilizes an availability payment structure that reduces financial risk to the state. Supported by toll revenues and private capital, the project represents a sustainable model for delivering critical infrastructure through public-private partnerships.

Funding includes both public and private sources. The State of Louisiana will contribute approximately US$1.2 billion (€1.097 billion) during the construction phase, disbursed as work progresses. Long-term financing is supported by the issuance of US$1.332 billion (€1.222 billion) in tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds (PABs) across four tranches, with maturities between 2054 and 2066. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. acted as underwriters. The remaining private equity will be invested upon project completion.

 
SR400 EXPRESS LANES HIGHWAY

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) awarded the consortium formed by ACCIONA, ACS and Meridiam, the construction and operation (for 50 years) of the SR400 Express Lanes highway in Atlanta (Georgia). This is one of the largest highway projects in the US.

With an investment of approximately US$10.8 billion (€9.8 billion), the SR 400 Express Lanes Project includes the construction of two managed lanes in each direction for approximately 25 kilometres, as well as an additional managed lane in some additional segments of the project.