These were private companies doing the work. The article argues that the problem was that the private company who is doing the construction is on a cost-plus co

These were private companies doing the work. The article argues that the problem was that the private company who is doing the construction is on a cost-plus contract and is different from the private company who designed the project, so the construction company has no ownership of the problems and no incentive to get it done. As far as private infrastructure, I don't see how that would make much of a difference here, other than that a private company would probably have a harder time with permits to dig up the street on and off for 8 years.