Sydney tunnel contract secured

A consortium of Bouygues subsidiary, Bouygues Construction Australia, and Lend Lease has agreed a €1.9 billion (US$ 2.1 billion) deal for a tunnel for the NorthConnex project in Sydney, Australia.

The agreement with transport operator Transurban is for the design and build of the 9 km twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a scheme linking the south of the M1 Pacific Highway at Wahroonga to the M2 Hills Motorway.

According to the consortium, the NorthConnex scheme will improve regional and national freight transport in the Sydney region and reduce commuting times.

The 50/50 partnership between Bouygues Construction Australia and Lend Lease will create 2,500 jobs. It is scheduled to take four years to complete.

Philippe Bonnave, deputy chief executive of Bouygues Construction, said, “This new contract is further proof of our ability to meet major technical challenges and to carry out large-scale infrastructure projects in Australia in partnership with well-established local contractors.

“NorthConnex is a project with a high environmental value, which will relieve the suburbs of Sydney of motorway traffic congestion while conserving natural spaces.”