Impregilo in US bridge contract win
24 July 2012
Italian contractor Impregilo has a 30% share in a joint venture that has been awarded a US$ 650 million contract to build a bridge in California, US.
Its joint venture partners are US contractor Shimmick Construction and Spanish company FCC Construction. The Port of Long Beach awarded the design and construction contract for the new Gerald Desmond cable-stayed bridge in Long Beach, connecting the city and its harbour.
The structure will be 610 m long with a main span of 300 m and 2 km of access viaducts. Construction is scheduled to take four years.
The bridge represents the first contract win by Impregilo since its board was taken over by Salini earlier in July. Salini is a privately-held Italian contractor that owns just under 30% in its larger rival and has outlined plans to merge itself with the company.
Pietro Salini, the new managing director of Impregilo, said the Gerald Desmond Bridge contract strengthened the contractor's role as a player on the international market for major projects - a strategic direction in which Salini is keen to push the company.
"This new success in a market as highly competitive and selective as the US recognised the expertise of the company in the construction of infrastructure initiatives of particular complexity and highlighted the high potential of the group."
