Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has applied for fresh federal funding but private finance still remains on the table for Beltway projects, P3 Bulletin understands.
In a major update this week, Moore said that Maryland is going to seek engagement with the public on the “potential implementation of managed lanes as a publicly funded and delivered project,” kick-starting plans with an application for major federal funding.
A spokesperson for Maryland Department Of Transporation (MDOT) told P3 Bulletin that the department is pursuing public finance as “responsible caretakers of the state’s revenue,” aiming to access enhanced funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Keen to “clarify the public v private funding question,” the spokesperson said that MDOT is “not ruling out other funding options that could include private funding" and will be pursuing managed lanes "whatever the funding source."
In March, Transurban, the lead partner in the Accelerate Maryland Partners consortium, announced that it was exiting the Maryland Express Lanes P3, despite being selected as preferred bidder, citing continued challenges including “environmental approvals, changing political landscape and environmental lawsuits that remain unresolved”.