Vinci/Hochtief German motorway opens

The A4 "A-Modell" motorway section in Thuringia, central Germany, has opened to traffic a year ahead of schedule.

The contract for what is Germany's first motorway concession, was awarded in 2007 to the Via Solutions Thüringen consortium, in which French construction group Vinci and German Hochtief each have a 50% interest. It was one of four pilot concession projects, under the "A-Modell" name, launched by the German government.

The concession, carried out under a 30-year Public Private Partnership (PPP), covers one of the biggest motorway corridors crossing from west to east. The contract comprises operating a 45 km section between the Gotha interchange and the border between Thuringia and Hesse, and included widening 24,5 km from four to six lanes.