Vinci and Bam for German road project

The German government's A-Modell contract for a section of the A9 motorway linking Berlin and Munich has been awarded to a consortium comprising Vinci Concessions, BAM PPP and construction company Reinhold Meister.

The contract covers the financing, design, widening and refurbishment of a 46,5 km section, followed by its operation and maintenance for 20 years. It represents a total investment in the order of € 210 million. Construction is worth approximately € 140 million.

The work, scheduled to take about three years, will be executed by a construction consortium led by Eurovia, and including Royal BAM subsidiary Wayss & Freytag and Reinhold Meister.

The project consists mainly of refurbishing 46,5 km of the motorway section located between the Lederhose interchange and the border between Thuringia and Bavaria, as well as widening 19 km to three-lane dual carriageway.

This is the first A-Modell partnership contract in Germany that is not toll based. The concession company will be paid a fee calculated on the basis of the motorway's availability to traffic.

The A9 connects Berlin with Northern Bavaria and Munich, and is deemed of special importance because it represents the major north/south connector between the Eastern Federal States and Southern Germany, and the gateway to Austria and Italy.

This is the third A-Modell contract won by French-based Vinci. The first, in 2007, was for a 45 km section on the A4 in Thuringia between the cities of Gotha and Eisenach, which was opened to traffic in September 2010. The second, in 2008, was for a 60 km section of the A5 between the cities of Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg. This is scheduled for completion in 2013.

BAM PPP looks after the public-private partnerships for the Dutch-based Bam group.