Three consortia have been selected in the first round or State of Qualifications (SOQ) to construct the Knik Arm Bridge; for a copy of the KABATA press release, click here.
Coincidentally or not, the three teams selected from the six teams applying appear to have the greatest participation of Alaskan-based suppliers.
The KABATA solicitation promises $2 Million to each consortium that submits a final RFP and is not selected in return KABATA will own the work product of the losing proposals. KABATA’s SOQ has clarified a key contention in last year’s legislative debate about whether the agency was seeking an unlimited guarantee to make up the expected shortfall. Per the SOQ: “If, however, the project reserve (the $150 Million KABATA has requested of the legislature) drops below a designated amount of funds, KABATA will undertake to request a supplemental appropriation from the Alaska State Legislature to replenish the project reserve to the minimum amount required under the terms of the PPA.” (p. A-19.)
A final RFP is expected to be issued after this winter’s legislative session after the fate of the bills (SB 70 & 80) is determined. Those bills would establish a $150 Million reserve fund and make any KABATA bonds or contracts “obligations of the state.”
On another front, the local Anchorage transportation planning agency AMATS has requested KABATA to release the traffic analysis zone (TAZ) data upon which the optimistic Wilbur Smith traffic and toll revenue study was done. After a month of delay, AMATS has now received the TAZ data but it has not yet been made public.
