Contract signed for PPP-A59

The first DBFM contract for road infrastructure in the Netherlands is realized.  On Tuesday, 4 February, Provincial Executive drs P. van Vugt of the Province of North-Brabant signed the agreement with the Consortium Poort van Den Bosch B.V. to accelerate the conversion of state highway N50 between Rosmalen and Geffen. The agreement is a so-called Design, Build, Finance & Maintain (DBFM) contract for design, construction, financing and maintenance of the road, including viaducts and noise barriers.

The signing of this contract marks the end of a two-year period of intense preparation, selection and negotiation.  Poort van Den Bosch can now begin converting state highway N50 into the A59 freeway.

A total amount of 218 million Euro is involved in the overall project.  This is the first DBFM contract ever awarded by the Dutch government. The consortium Poort van Den Bosch is a partnership of Royal BAM Group nv, Boskalis bv and Project Managers Fluor.  ING Bank is involved as the Financial Advisor to the Poort van Den Bosch.  ING and the  nv Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten are financing of the project. The contract duration is eighteen years, three years for design and construction and a fifteen year maintenance period.

On this project, Public Private Partnership is an attractive solution for the government. It is anticipated that the project costs will be 15% lower than through the traditional tendering process.  The infrastructure will be available earlier, is guaranteed to a high level of quality, and there is more certainty regarding maximum expenditures during the eighteen-year maintenance period, which ends in 2020.

The State will own the infrastructure and pay the Consortium an annual premium based on the availability of the freeway.  The responsibility for design, construction and financing of the A59 lies completely with the Poort van Den Bosch.

The tracé between Rosmalen and Geffen is approximately nine kilometers. The road will be converted to a freeway with two times two lanes and no crossings at grade.  At ground level, intersections will combine a traffic circle with an underpass. The first construction activities will commence mid 2003.  The roadway will remain in use during the conversion, however motorists will note temporary rerouting of traffic at various points along the tracé. When the roadway is completed in 2005, it will end years of inconvenience due to traffic jams, accidents and shortcutting of traffic through residential areas.

For further information:

Bertrand van Ee, Projectdirector Poort van Den Bosch,  telephone +31  23 5432732fax: +31 23 5432518, email: bertrand.van.ee@fluor.com