Mott MacDonald has been named lenders' technical advisor by the IC Ictas-Astaldi (ICA) consortium for a 60km section of the Northern Marmara motorway in Turkey. This is the first of a number of phases of the motorway and is being delivered under a 10 year, US$2.5 billion public-private partnership (PPP).

The project comprises the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the 60km dual four lane Northern Marmara motorway between Odayeri and Pa?aköy. It includes construction of 55km of connection roads, 19 motorway junctions, 67 viaducts, and seven tunnels and a road/rail stay cable stiffened suspension bridge across the Bosphorus.

The new bridge, designed by Michel Virlogeux and Swiss consultant T-Engineering, will be a combined road and rail suspension with a main span of 1.4km. It will be the first long span bridge to accommodate an eight lane highway and a two line railway on the same level, giving it a width of 59m. The structure will also have the world's tallest towers, at over 320m.

John Young, Mott MacDonald's project director, said:

"The new east-west route should alleviate congestion on existing routes across Istanbul, including the two existing bridges across the Bosphorus. This should enhance economic growth in the region and improve trade between Europe and Asia. It should also open up possible development in northern Istanbul.""Our appointment on this prestigious project builds on our recent technical advisory roles on Turkish hospital and airport PPP projects and puts us in a strong position to win future work on transportation PPP projects in the country."

Financial close is expected to be reached before the end of 2013, with construction expected to be complete in 2016.

In September, Mott Macdonald was appointed lenders' technical advisor for Istanbul Ikitelli health campus. Earlier, in July, Mott Macdonald had been appointed lender's technical advisor in a Spanish road concession.