The necessary financing has now been secured for Norway’s massive Sotra Connection PPP Project. The €2 billion road infrastructure contract is the largest in Norwegian history to date.
Sotra Link was selected as the preferred bidder for the concession by the Norwegian Public Roads Authority (NPRA) last year. Sotra Link comprises Macquarie Capital (70%), South Korean civil engineering company SK ecoplant (20%), and Italian industrial group Webuild (10%).
The Sotra Link concession package is for a 25 year period of operation and maintenance and will commence after the link is complete in 2027. Meanwhile, the construction work will be handled jointly by a partnership comprising the Spanish group FCC Construcción (35%), Webuild (35%), and SK ecoplant (30%).
The public-private-partnership (PPP) contract to finance, design, build and operate the 9.4km four-lane road link in Norway’s Vestland county, aims to improve travel between Bergen and Øygarden municipality. The construction includes a 4.6km road in twin-tube tunnels and a four-lane bridge of around 900m. The new road system will have dedicated infrastructure for public transport, as well as pedestrian and bicycle paths. Three smaller bridges are also included in the project. It is the largest and most complex of the Norwegian Government’s planned road PPPs for its 2018-2029 National Transport Plan2.
