Victoria Government has received expressions of interest from four groups to build the first stage of the East West Link. The bidders had until Thursday to make a formal submission.The Treasurer, Michael O'Brien, says a shortlist of up to three bidders will be determined by early October and they will have to put in tenders by the end of that month.The Government did not release a full list of the firms, but Mr O'Brien says local and international companies are represented. Last week, a list of bidders was released:East West Connect

•     Capella Capital as agent for Capella Capital partnership
•     Lend Lease Engineering
•     Acciona Infrastructure Australia
•     Bouygues Travaux Publics
•     Lend Lease Services
•     Lend Lease Infrastructure Investments
•     Bouygues Construction Australia

Inner Link Group

•     Cintra Infraestructuras
•     Retail Employees Superannuation, acting as Trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust
•     Samsung C&T Corporation
•     Ferrovial Agroman (Australia)
•     Ghella
•     Transfield Services (Australia)
•     Macquarie Capital (Australia)

Momentum Infrastructure

•     John Holland
•     Dragados Australia
•     Leighton Contractors
•     Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras
•     The Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi UFJ

Sicuro

•     Salini
•     Salini Australia
•     Impregilo
•     Hyundai Engineering and Construction
•     Egis Road Operation Australia
•     Egis Investment Partners
•     InfraLinx Capital (Germany)
•     Aquasia

Construction of the project is expected to commence in late 2014 with expected completion in 2019-20.Expressions of Interest for the East West Link will be evaluated based on six criteria:

1. design, construction capability and experience
2. operations, maintenance capability and experience
3. stakeholder engagement
4. financing capacity and capability
5. commercial structure
6. innovation.

The East West Link project is an 18-kilometre cross city connection north of the Melbourne central business district. The full East West Link dramatically improves the connectivity between Melbourne's established east and rapidly growing west, joining the Eastern Freeway at Hoddle Street with the Western Ring Road in Sunshine West.The East West Link project will be delivered as an availability PPP with the state initially retaining tolling and traffic risk.The East West Link Stage 1 has an estimated capital cost of between $6 billion and $8 billion.Source: Linking Melbourne Authority & InfraPPP's research