KABATA narrows finalists to 3

ANCHORAGE — The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority has narrowed a list of entities interested in financing, designing and building the bridge to three consortiums.

According to a KABATA press release, six teams submitted what the authority is calling “statements of qualifications” in which the teams, made up of construction companies, subcontractors, designers and bankers, document that they have the skills and resources necessary to construct the estimated $650 million to $700 million project.

This past week, KABATA narrowed that list to Alaska Infrastructure Partners, Cook Inlet Passage Partners and North Star Mobility Group, which will now have the opportunity to submit bids to build the bridge. But they won’t submit their bid packets until next year and construction won’t begin until 2013.

The KABATA release notes that the bridge has crossed other milestones, including a ruling from the National Marine Fisheries Services that says the bridge won’t jeopardize Cook Inlet beluga whales and a thumbs-up from the Federal Highway Administration, which reviewed the project’s environmental impact statement.

The idea is to hire the successful bidder to finance construction of the bridge and recoup its costs from tolls paid by vehicles crossing the span.

Whether those tolls cover costs has lately been a subject of concern. KABATA predicts that, eventually, the bridge will generate more money than the developer will need to cover costs, but also admits that the first five years will likely see shortfalls. Pro-bridge legislators are seeking $150 million to cover those shortfalls, money that will eventually be repaid to the state using those tolls.

• Alaska Infrastructure Access Partners includes the following firms: Infrared Capital Partners Limited; Bouygues TP; Colaska Inc. dba QAP Weeks Marine Inc.; URS Alaska LLC; Moffatt and Nichol Inc.; USKH Inc.; R&M Consultants Inc.; and Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc.

• Cook Inlet Passage Partners includes the following firms: Meridiam USA III LLC; Meridiam Infrastructure North America Corp.; Meridiam Infrastructure North America Fund II AIV, LP; Meridiam Infrastructure North America Fund II, LP; Meridiam Infrastructure North America Fund II (Domestic), LP; Kiewit Development Co.; Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.; Manson Construction Co.; VMS Inc. dba Transfield Services North America, Transportation Infrastructure; Parsons Transportation Group Inc.; Golder Associates Inc.; Dowl HKM; Dan Brown and Associates, PLLC; BMT Fleet Technologies; and KPMG Corporate Finance LLC.

• North Star Mobility Group includes the following firms: HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions North America Inc.; HOCHTIEF Aktiengesellschaft; ACS Infrastructure Development Inc.; ACS Servicios y Concessiones, S.L.; Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras, S.A.; Flatiron Constructors Inc.; Dragados USA Inc.; Dragados SA; Traylor Bros. Inc.; HNTB Corp.; CH2M Hill Engineers Inc.; Alaska Interstate Construction LLC; Arcadis; Kodiak Map; Hart Crowser; Earth Mechanics; Bittner-Shen; Denali Drilling; and Gregg Drilling.