DALLAS - Michael Cheroutes, the Colorado Department of Transportation executive who led CDOT's High Performance Transportation Enterprise, moves to the private sector to promote public-private partnerships Oct. 1.
Cheroutes, who was appointed to lead the HPTE in September 2009, will be founder and director of the Colorado Center for Infrastructure Investment, a nonprofit that he said aims to help governments develop public-private partnership deals.
The HPTE, whose first project was the P3 redevelopment of the U.S. 36 between Boulder and Denver through the Plenary Roads consortium, is looking for an replacement for Cheroutes.
"The US 36 Express Lanes are a national example of how leveraging a public-private partnership can deliver innovative critical multi-modal transportation systems that allow our economy to keep moving and growing," said CDOT's executive director, Shailen Bhatt.
Cheroutes departs as HPTE is managing competition for the $1.8 billion Interstate 70 East redevelopment in Denver. Four consortiums have qualified to answer requests for proposals. The award is expected to be issued by September 2016.
"CDOT and HPTE are committed to delivering mobility solutions to meet the demands of Colorado's growing population and economy," Cheroutes said. "I'm proud to have worked with HTPE to help demonstrate the strength of public-private partnerships as a way to improve our state's transportation infrastructure."
