As the 2013 award season heats up for 2012 successes around the world, the juries are increasingly finding the US market hard to ignore. Infrastructure Journal and PPP Bulletin International, the two London-based media organizations that annually recognize top projects and industry organizations worldwide, have each announced their finalists for this year's best transportation transactions and firms. Focusing on public-private partnership projects as opposed to those mega-projects which are the subject of major design-build contracts, these organizations nevertheless both found much to honor during a standout period.

Infrastructure Journal has announced that the Virginia Department of Transportation's Downtown Tunnel/Midtown Tunnel/MLK Extension Project ("Midtown Tunnel") is one of four finalists for its Global Transport Deal of the Year, the third time in four years IJ has so recognized US projects, starting with the Texas Department of Transportation's North Tarrant Express, named the Global Transport Project of 2009 and finalist for the overall Global Infrastructure Project of that year; and the Florida Department of Transportation's I-595 Project, also a finalist for the 2009 Global Transport Project. For this year's awards, the publication reviewed more than 600 submissions and will announce the winner on April 17, 2013.

PPP Bulletin International has announced that the California Department of Transportation's Presidio Parkway Project, the Midtown Tunnel and VDOT's I-95 Express Lanes project are all among the finalists for its Best Transport Project of the Year. The publication will announce the winner on May 23, 2013.

We congratulate VDOT, Caltrans and their private partners for this well-deserved recognition.