At 1pm (Queensland time) next Monday the winner of the bid to design, build, operate and maintain Brisbane’s US$1.6bn, 5.5km long twin tube Northern Link Tunnel will be announced. In the running for the 20-year concession are Northern Direct, a JV of Bouygues/Laing O’Rourke/Transfield Services, and Transcity, a JV comprising Acciona/BMD/Ghella.
Bids were submitted in 12 May 2010, and originally three JV were in the running for the road tunnel project, but on the 5th July it was announced that the Leighton/Baulderstone/Razel JV bid would not be considered.
Construction of the toll road tunnel connecting the Western Freeway and the Inner City Bypass is due to start in December this year for completion in 2014, and will utilize a mix of TBMs, drill and blast and cut and cover construction.
It was announced that this project would not go ahead as PPP, but government funded (BCC, Federal and State). Is this a mistake in this report, or has this decision been overturned?
Hi Frank, you're absolutely right, the PPP was not taken up, the contract award to Transcity is a design, construct, maintain and operate type, with funding for the Northern Link coming from Council, State and Federal funding. Apologies for the confusion, and thanks for the clarification.