"The result of such hard work and sophisticated management is being realized now in 2014, as we are completely opening NTE several months ahead of schedule and opening parts of LBJ ahead of expectations as well," Filer told ENR in an email interview. "The projects are extremely complicated and challenging, and our people have met those challenges."

These projects are also part of TxDOT's public-private-partnership (PPP) portfolio, with the LBJ and NTE projects being the first ones out of the gate.

Donna Huerta, public information officer for TxDOT's DFW Strategic Projects Office, says the projects were "kind of new pastures for us, so [the FAUS/Webber team was] very patient with us as we were with them to understand how this was going to work, how this relationship would be long-lasting and how to negotiate a contract that was actually sustainable for the 52 years that they were going to have the road."

And the Ferrovial team has also successfully set the stage for PPPs moving forward.

"In North Texas alone, just in PPPs, we're spending $11 billion on eight projects," Huerta says. "All of these will be finished, with the exception of the 360 Toll Road, by the end of 2018. We didn't even start LBJ until 2010. So in doing that many projects in that short a time for that amount of money, you can bet that it worked because of what we learned on the first ones. Now we can crank them out quickly, and we can thank our very first projects for that."

Safety and Community

Among the three projects in the DFW area, Ferrovial's team has logged 3,895,079 man-hours, counting subs, so far this year, says Heather DeLapp, regional public relations manager at FAUS. "With so many man-hours and so much complex work being done, we are proud to have an [incident rate] of only 0.533 for that same period," she says. "But we are always looking to improve. We are driving the teams to better safety records through comprehensive safety programs and training. Just this year, we have trained nearly 5,000 employees in safety. That is in addition to the thousands of hours of environmental and quality training."

Although these projects are massive in size and scale, Ferrovial also remains committed to the local communities in which it does business.

The NTE and LBJ Express project teams partnered with the National Math and Science Initiative in 2011 to establish an advanced placement math and science program in high-needs high schools along the NTE and LBJ highway corridors. "Through a five-year grant partnership, FAUS is encouraging young people to pursue STEM studies (science, technology, education and math) and highlighting future career opportunities," DeLapp says. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) gave the NTE project its award for excellence in community relations and public education.

Looking Ahead

Ferrovial is the top ranked public, design-build and transportation firm on ENR Texas & Louisiana's 2014 top contractor rankings, and the No. 1 ranked firm in the state of Texas. With all the momentum the firm has built up over the past few years, keeping that strength going will be a challenge.

"The Texas market remains a focus for both Webber and FAUS. We will continue to operate in our established markets of the region while also diversifying into other regions and market sectors," Filer says.

And the market will certainly help pave the way.

"I am not sure anyone 10 years ago would have believed we would see multiple $1-billion-plus deals flowing the way they are in Texas at the moment," Filer says. "The pipeline seems loaded, but competition is growing. Eventually, new companies coming to Texas will either establish this area as another home or they will find the next hot market."