Oakland Corridor Partners, a John Laing-led consortium, is responsible for the modernisation of an 18-mile stretch of the I-75 in Michigan, USA. Oakland Corridor Partners reached financial close on the project in November 2018; construction commenced in the autumn of 2019 and is expected to complete in the second half of 2023.

The project involves the modernisation of Segment 3 of the I-75, covering an 5.5-mile stretch of road in Oakland County from 8 Mile Road to north of 13 Mile Road. It includes the reconstruction of 5.5 miles of the corridor, improvements to 28 bridges, safety upgrades across the corridor, and construction of a new four-mile, 15-foot diameter storage and drainage tunnel.

This crucial corridor has not received any comprehensive improvements since the it was first built in the 1960s. The project is essential to increase capacity and ease congestion – this part of the I-75 carries up to 174,000 vehicles every day. Once complete, drivers will benefit from a safer, less congested route which is less prone to flooding. The use of a Public-Private Partnership model will accelerate completion of the highway upgrade by as much as 12 years versus the Michigan Department of Transport’s original modernisation plan.

John Laing played a lead role in the formation of the consortium and led the bid process, including client negotiations and raising financing. We have continued to bring our active asset management capability to bear during the construction phase, including through key appointments to the SPV delivery team and oversight at Board level.

Across the project, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of the construction work, to ensuring that we meet and exceed relevant safety standards, and that disruption to the local residential and commercial communities is limited. We also have commitments to protect wildlife, and an ongoing programme of communication to support those using the reduced highway facilities during construction. During the construction, a minimum of two lanes each way will operate on the network, allowing traffic to continue and minimising disruption.

For further information on John Laing’s capabilities and projects in road transportation in the US, please click here.