BRUSSELS – 3rd June, 2009
Three consortia compete for the financing of the Kempen north-south link in Belgium through a public/private partnership
On 25th May 2009, three parties put forward a tender through Via-Invest, a subsidiary of ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), for the financing of the Kempen north-south link. The three candidates are:
• Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria
• The Dutch Infrastructure Fund/ING/KBC/SMBC consortium
• The DG-Infra+/Dexia/Fortis Bank/NIBC Bank consortium
Via-Invest is creating the long-awaited north-south link through a public/private partnership. Both the work and the funding will be put out to tender separately underpinned by a DBM+F method (Design, Build & Maintain+Finance). This working method has proved successful in the past with the northern access road for Zaventem airport, a project that was named “European Transport & PPP Deal of the Year 2007” by the British specialised publication Project Finance Magazine.
The total amount of investment (cost of design and construction) is estimated at around € 100 million. The Kempen north-south link is important because of the central location of the Kempen region in the European economic core area and the fact that Belgium is the logistic centre which makes this region an important geo-economic asset. Unfortunately, the infrastructure at the north-south axis between the Netherlands and the province is not sufficient to create a link via the Kempen. The result of this is that traffic takes the very slow route through the village centres of the Kempen via the N19. Due to the increase in heavy truck traffic, the quality of life and safety are being compromised.
I. Extension of the N19g between Kasterlee (intersection with the N123) and Geel (R14)
This will mean laying a new road for through traffic, parallel to the existing N19 between Kasterlee and Geel. This road will be linked to the existing crossroads of the N19g and the N123 in Kasterlee and to a junction on the R14 in Geel which has yet to be designed. New bridges will also be built over the Kleine Nete river and over the Herentals-Bocholt canal. As this route will cut through the valuable nature area of De Hoge Mouw, part of it will be laid in a tunnel. A great deal of care will also be given to the effective integration of the new route in the protected area of Gooreind.
II. Reconstruction of the 23 Geel-West complex including a new bridge over the Albert canal
This project concerns the complete reconstruction of the 23 Geel-West complex by combining the feeder and exit roads and the adjoining interchanges in two, large roundabouts, one to the north and the other to the south of the E313. Through traffic will thus be diverted between Geel and Westerlo over the northern roundabout via a non-level crossing. There are also plans for the upgrading of the N19 interchange with the N13 on the Herentalseweg. The project also includes a new bridge over the Albert canal. This bridge will take account of the planned widening of the canal by nv Scheepvaart and will be connected to the non-level crossing and the northern roundabout.
In order to carry out these projects, on 3 July 2009 Via-Invest is also expecting a complete offer from the three contractors’ consortia. An optimisation round will then follow to name the preferential bidder in the last quarter of 2009. The three contractors’ consortia are:
• Vanhout nv/VBG nv/Besix nv/Wegebo nv
• Heijmans Infra nv/D. Stadsbader Flamand nv/Deckx Algemene Ondernemingen nv/Franki nv/Iemants Staalconstructies nv
• Ondernemingen Jan De Nul nv/Aswebo nv/Kumpen nv
The full licensing procedure will be completed in the first half of 2010. Work can then get started in the second half of the year so that the Kempen north-south link can be opened at the beginning of 2013.
About Via-Invest
Via-Invest nv was set up on 12th October 2006. The company is a joint venture between PMV (51 %) and the Flemish Region (49 %). The aim of the company is to update public work projects using public/private partnerships through the rapid construction of a number of missing links in the Flemish road network.
The following projects are on Via-Invest’s agenda:
• The northern road connection for Zaventem airport (awarded-work in progress)
• The Kempen north-south link (put out to tender)
• The completion of the southern branch of the R4 in Merelbeke (put out to tender)
• The north-south link in Helchteren/Houthalen
• Rerouting of the A11 southern port periphery road to Zeebrugge
• Construction of the N60 ring road in Ronse
For more information:
Ben Jehaes
PMV Spokesman
+ 32 495 547 840
Jan Van De Voorde
Senior Investment Manager PMV-pps
+ 32 497 445 011
