The Chicago Skyway also known as Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge System is an elevated 7.8 mile (12.5 km) long tollway bridging Interstate 90 at the Dan Ryan Expressway on the west end, and the Indiana Toll Road on the east end.
The road which has three lanes in either direction originally opened in 1959 is mainly used by commuters travelling to and from Chicago
Halcrow served as a technical advisor to the Skyway Concession Company (SCC), providing traffic and revenue forecasting services and technical due diligence for the Chicago Skyway toll bridge system. Our unparalleled track record in public-private partnership transactions was a key factor in client’s decision to select Halcrow for this role.
Halcrow provided traffic and revenue forecasting services and carried out the technical due diligence role for the Macquarie and Cintra team. Halcrow’s essential contribution to the success of the SCC’s bid was to analyse clients’ revenue forecasts, and carry out a technical audit that identified and assessed construction, operation and maintenance risks. In addition, we acted as technical advisor to the client following refinancing, with responsibilities to audit, monitor and certify drawdown of the capital improvement works expenditure, and ensure that capital costs were under control and the debt was not at risk..
SCC, a joint venture between the Australian Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Spanish Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte S.A., assumed operations on the Skyway on a 99-year operating lease in January 2005 by paying the city of Chicago US$1.83 billion. This was the first privatization of an existing toll road anywhere in the United States.