Presidio Parkway at 10: Celebrating Infrastructure and Partnership Triumph

A Decade of Progress and Partnership: Celebrating Presidio Parkway's 10th Anniversary

The Presidio Parkway in San Francisco recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in the city’s infrastructure development. The event featured the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, speeches from local leaders, and a celebration of the successful collaboration between public and private agencies that made the project possible.

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, representing San Francisco, addressed a crowd that included lawmakers and individuals who played key roles in the creation and operation of the parkway. She highlighted the complexity of the project, which involved multiple agencies working together to achieve a common goal. Pelosi noted that while securing $300 million for the project was typically the most challenging part, in this case, it was the easiest step. “As you can see from the 13 speakers, there were very many aspects of our community involved in this,” she said.

The Evolution of a Critical Transportation Link

The Presidio Parkway is a 1.6-mile segment of U.S. Highway 101 that replaced Doyle Drive after a series of studies by local and state agencies determined that the old connection to the Golden Gate Bridge did not meet highway standards. The project aimed to address serious seismic and structural concerns by constructing four tunnels and 14 bridges connecting to Highway 101. Studies began in the 1990s, and construction started in 2009.

Before the project’s completion in 2015, Caltrans announced a public-private partnership that allowed a private company to invest in the parkway and take on responsibility for its completion and maintenance for 30 years. The agency had already invested $486.9 million in phase one, but additional funding was needed to finish the project.

Golden Link Concessionaire, a joint venture between Hochtief Presidio Holding and Meridiam, invested $365 million to help complete the project. The company now manages the maintenance of the parkway under a 30-year lease with Caltrans and the San Francisco County Transit Authority. It does not own the roadway itself.

A Unique Approach to Infrastructure Development

Caltrans District 4 spokesperson Bart Ney discussed what makes a parkway unique and why the department chose to replace Doyle Drive with the Presidio Parkway. He emphasized the importance of updating the seismic integrity around toll bridges and the value of partnering with Meridiam, which helped fund the project and create an environmentally friendly space.

“A parkway is basically using unused space near a transportation system for a park area. And so, you could actually appreciate the incredible views that were here. You couldn’t really do that back in the days of Doyle Drive,” said Ney. “In this case, when we had a project that needed to get done and we needed to get funding together quickly for it and kept a plan all the way through, it was great to have Meridiam.”

Ney noted that while Caltrans would be excited for future public-private partnerships, not every project is suitable for such an approach. He stressed the importance of evaluating each situation on a case-by-case basis, as infrastructure is a long-term investment.

A Vision for Sustainable and Efficient Development

Peter van der Waart van Gulik, Meridiam executive director for the West Coast, spoke about the unique partnership between Meridiam and California. He described the firm’s investment as a tool for public agencies to deliver projects more quickly, cost-efficiently, and on schedule when facing funding challenges.

“A big difference with a traditionally delivered project, if those get delayed or there is a significant financial claim, the contractor often has a tendency to stop until they get paid,” said van der Waart van Gulik. “Whereas a public-private partnership, because of the lenders that are putting money into the project, it’s like the mortgage payment on your house. You don’t want to be late on paying your mortgage, regardless of what issues you have personally. So, there’s more motivation and more effort that goes into trying to recover, whether it’s a schedule delay or commercial.”

For van der Waart van Gulik, the Presidio Parkway was a perfect example of a project that aligned with Meridiam’s values. As a public benefit corporation, the firm focuses on balancing financial dividends with social impact through long-term investments.

“We’re very selective which projects we invest in,” said van der Waart van Gulik. “This is a perfect example. If this was just a highway, it would probably not have been a suitable investment for us. But because it brought these two parks together, enabled these very tunnels, and it replaced an unsafe structure. Those are aspects I think we measure before we select to invest in it.”

A Community Celebration

Leading up to the unveiling of a commemorative plaque for the Presidio Parkway by San Francisco County Transportation Authority Executive Director Tilly Chang, local leaders took to the stage to express their appreciation for the new structure. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, praised the project as a shining contradiction to the idea that government cannot work efficiently without sacrificing excellence. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said his administration would be inspired by the collaboration between the public and private sectors to get projects completed.

San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar shared personal memories of the park, recalling how special it was for her family. She mentioned that her family would practice with their Brazilian dance group on a regular basis in the newly constructed park facilities.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy received a $20,000 check from Golden Link Concessionaire CEO Brandon Yee, intended for community outreach programs that serve young people. Deputy CEO of the parks conservancy Michele Gee expressed hope that more young people and members of the public would benefit from these initiatives.

A Vibrant Celebration of Community and Innovation

During the event, San Francisco’s famous parrots flew above the park, where an elementary school field trip had children playing on red chairs. The parks of the Presidio Parkway were alive with kids playing and families eating at nearby food trucks, all while fog rolled through the Golden Gate. The celebration reflected not only the success of the project but also the vibrant community that surrounds it.