Dive Brief:
- The Skanska USA-led $2.3 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate Improvement Project in Orlando, FL, has won the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure's Envision Platinum status.
- The project was recognized for its commitment to sustainability and positive impact on three fronts: environmental, social and economic.
- The 21-mile project will see the reconstruction of 15 interchanges, the widening of 13 bridges, replacement of 74 bridges and the addition of 53 new bridges, with at least two pedestrian paths over traffic.
Dive Insight:
Envision Platinum can best be compared to LEED, but instead of being ranked on the characteristics of a building, civil infrastructure projects are scored on 60 criteria around climate and risk, quality of life, leadership, resource allocation and natural world. In addition to scoring projects on sustainability, the program also provides companies with resources on how to achieve on each criteria.
The project is being carried out as a public-private partnership between the Skanska-led I-4 Mobility Partners and the Florida State Department of Transportation. I-4 Mobility Partners has design, build and finance responsibilities as part of the P3 and will maintain and operate the highway for 40 years after completion.
Another Skanska project, the $700 million Los Angeles Metro Expo Line Phase 2 (Expo 2) light-rail extension project, also won Envision Platinum status in September. It was Skanska's first transit project ever to achieve that sustainability benchmark and also the priciest. Noted standout features of Expo 2 include its use of local labor and materials and how well the line connects to other transit systems.
According to the ISI, it also has awarded Envision Platinum certification to the Integrated Pipeline Project in Tarrant County, TX, the Green Build development at the San Diego International Airport, the West Park Equalization Facility in Nashville, TN, and the Kansas City (MO) Streetcar Project.
