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Rijkswaterstaat, the government agency responsible for the design, construction, management and maintenance of the Netherlands’ main physical infrastructure, has announced that it intends to award the A16 motorway project to De Groene Boog consortium. This involves the construction and operation of a new motorway in the Rotterdam region, in the west of the country. 

The contract value has not yet been announced, but the project has been allocated EUR984 million (US$1.2 billion) in the budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works.

The consortium partners – BESIX Group, Dura Vermeer Groep, Van Oord PPP, John Laing Investments Limited, RebelValley and TBI PPP – will be responsible for designing, building and pre-financing the project. The consortium will also be responsible for a twenty-year maintenance period. Construction is expected to start in early 2019 and be completed in 2024.

As reported on this platform, Rijkswaterstaat launched the tender for the project in December 2016. Five teams pre-qualified, submitting bids in May 2017. Three of these were shortlisted, and submitted best and final offers last month. The shortlisted consortia, aside from the successful Groene Boog team, included teams led by BAM Group and Sacyr.

Following the provisional award, made known to candidates today, the consortia that were not awarded the contract will have a twenty-day period in which to object.

The new A16 motorway will be located along the northeast periphery of Rotterdam and will link to the N471, Ankie Verbeek-Ohrlaan and Terbregseplein. The 11km route will cut through Lage Bergse Bos, where a semi-immersed tunnel will be constructed. Adjoining areas, such as Terbregseveld, Vlinderstrik and Lage Bergse Bos, will be re-landscaped and connected by cycling and walking paths.

The road will be incorporated into the landscape as effectively as possible and will be energy-neutral for 20 years. Noise pollution will be averted by using extra noise-reducing asphalt on the A16 road surface (dual-layer fine porous asphalt, ZOAB) as well as noise barriers and earth embankments.

The project has been designed to improve the severe congestion that affects the roads that currently serve this area - the A13 motorway at Overschie and the A20 between Kleinpolderplein and Terbregseplein.