Colorado DOT finance group director leaving post to become public-private partnership consultant

Michael Cheroutes, director of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CODOT) High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE), will leave his post in October to run the Colorado Center for Infrastructure Investment (CC2I).

As director of the HPTE, Cheroutes oversees a department he helped create that is responsible for developing innovative ways of financing for transportation projects, such as design-build contracting, user-fee based financing, such as tolls, as well as public-private partnerships.

“We are fortunate Mike chose to share his talents with the HPTE as the Director,” CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt said. “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. He set the stage for the HPTE to help continue to support CDOT’s quest to become the best DOT in the country.”

While he is leaving in October, Cheroutes will maintain a part-time role to help in work on the Interstate 70 East Project procurement.

“It has been a privilege to work with CDOT, local and regional communities, the public and our elected officials to bring much-needed mobility and safety improvements to Colorado’s transportation system,” Cheroutes said. “CDOT and HPTE are committed to delivering mobility solutions to meet the demands of Colorado’s growing population and economy. 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.”