This article is part of a daily series of MegaProjects articles. If you want to know more about PPP projects with a considerable size visit our MegaProjects section. You can receive them by email on a daily basis.

Statens vegvesen​, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA), has shortlisted three consortia for the RV3/RV25 Ommangsvollen – Grundset/Basthjørnet road PPP.

NPRA released the request for qualifications (RFQ) for the first of its three planned road PPP projects last April, after the Norwegian parliament approved legislation for the project. As we reported in May, seven consortia submitted qualification documents for the project.

The three teams shortlisted are:

• A team of Skanska subsidiaries from Austria
• A consortium comprised by Acciona (Spain) and Strabag (Austria)
• A team of Norwegian construction firms: Veidekke and Sundt

The prequalification eliminates the following consortia from the procurement: 

• AF Gruppen Norge and John Laing
• OHL Concesiones with Infranode
• Salini Impregilo with Pöyry
• NCC and Vinci

The contract will involve the financing, construction and operation of a stretch of road between Ommangsvollen in Løten and Grundset in Elverum for a 20-year period. The project will form part of the country’s transport corridor between Oslo and central Norway. It will also include the delivery of a new section of the RV25 between Åkroken and Grindalsmoen in Elverum.

The private sector will be responsible for delivering 14.2 km of four-lane motorway, 1km of four lane approach road to Elverum, and 10.5km of two or three lane road including a central reservation.

The project entails an overall investment of NOK5.1 billion (US$575 million)

The contract is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2018 and be opened to traffic in 2020.

The Norwegian Government recognizes the benefits of PPP. The Ministry of Transport and Communications asked the NPRA to prepare three new PPP projects, as described in the proposition to the Storting, the supreme legislature, and in the report "On the Right Track – Reforms in the Road Sector". The other two NPRA's planned road PPP are:

• Rv 555 Sotrasambandet (the Sotra connection) in Hordaland County. The new main land connection between Sotra/Øygarden and Bergen is to ensure efficient transport to urban centres and urban districts, and to main roads, railway, airport and sea transport. Expected investment: NOK 7.5 – 8.5 billion (US$860 - 975 million).
• E10 and rv 85 Tjeldsund–Gullesfjordbotn–Langvassbukt in Nordland and Troms counties. This road project is situated in Central Hålogaland and stretches across two counties and seven municipalities. The purpose of the project is to improve mobility and reduce travel time on the E10/Rv 85/Rv 83 between the towns of Sortland, Harstad and Evenes in Northern Norway. Expected investment: NOK 6 – 7 billion (US$690 - 800 million).