Macquarie notes: A24 Blankenburg Tunnel provisionally awarded to consortium Ballast Nedam, DEME and Macquarie

Rijkswaterstaat (The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management of the Netherlands) has announced its intention to award the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project A24 Blankenburg Tunnel (Blankenburgverbinding) to BAAK, a consortium consisting of Ballast Nedam, DEME and Macquarie Capital. The project consists of the design, build, management and maintenance for a period of 20 years of existing and new infrastructure.

The A24 Blankenburg Tunnel connects the A20 and the A15 and will improve access to the economically important Rotterdam region. The A24 Blankenburg Tunnel leads (from the north to the south) from the A20, which lies to the west of Vlaardingen, underneath the Nieuwe Waterweg river (‘het Scheur’) and will be connected to the A15 to the east of Rozenburg. Furthermore the project consists of the construction of two junctions (of the A24 to the A20 and the A15) and the widening of the A20 between the A24 and the Kethelplein.

The project originates from Masterplan Rotterdam Vooruit (2009), a vision of the development of the Rotterdam region that covers the period 2020-2040. The area is characterised by rural surroundings on the North bank of ‘het Scheur’ and on the Southbank by industry and homes. The construction of an over ground tunnel will reduce the barrier function and at the same time increases the accessibility of the area. Het Scheur will be crossed by a tunnel made of zinc.

The project has a total nominal value of approximately €1 billion, including a 20-year management and maintenance period after the new infrastructure becomes available.

Following this provisional award, the other tenderer may object to the Rijkswaterstaat’s intentionduring the so-called Alcatel period. If no objections aresubmitted, the final award will follow.