The Sotra Link consortium has been awarded a US$2.27 billion contract to construct Norway’s RV 555 Sotra Connection PPP Project. The PPP contract will include financing, building and operating the link. The consortium comprises Australian firm Macquarie Group, the South Korean civil engineering company SK Ecoplant and the Italian contractor Webuild.
The project involves building a new road in Norway’s Vestland county that will feature two lanes in either direction along 9km stretch. Included in the work will be the construction of a network of roads, tunnels, bridges and viaducts in Vestland.
One of the stand out features of the work is the construction of a 900m suspension bridge that will be 30m wide and features towers that are 114m high. The bridge will connect Øygarden and Bergen.
The work also includes driving 12.5km of tunnels, building 19 road and pedestrian underpasses, 23 tunnel portals, 22 bridges and viaducts and 14km of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.
Webuild has a 35% stake in the Sotra Link construction consortium that will be responsible for the design and construction of the project, and a 10% stake in the special purpose vehicle that will operate and maintain the network.
The contract was awarded by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). It will be one of Norway’s major projects, as well as one of the largest to be handled under the PPP model.
