This chapter provides an overview of the introduction and use of public-private partnerships to expedite the development and financing of major highway facilities in England since the initiation of the Government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in 1992. This is the strategic network of highways used to move people and freight around the country, as shown in Exhibit 3.1 on the next page. It also includes a comprehensive list of PPP projects by contract type and status, as well as a number of specific project case studies.
Public-private partnerships in England have primarily been used to expedite the expansion to the nation's motorway and truck road system, including highways, bridges, and tunnels. Most of the PPPs for roadways in England have had private concession teams design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the facilities with the Government's Department of road projects. PPPs have also been used in England to manage urban congestion (such as the Central London Congestion Pricing Scheme), maintain and refurbish public transit infrastructure (such as the London Underground), and build large-scale intermodal tunnel facilities, such as the rail tunnel under the English Channel (the "Chunnel").