Procurement authority PMV/Via Invest has confirmed that the following four candidates remain to design, build, finance and maintain seven bridges on the Albert Canal in Flanders:
- Jan De Nul/Eiffage/VictorBuyck Steel Construction
- Besix Group/Rebel/Stadsbader
- Artes Group
- Franki Construct/Hye/Kumpen/Aelterman/Aswebo
The two bidders who have not prequalified are a Cordeel/CIT Blaton team and a Denys/Macquarie consortium.
The Albert Canal PPP is being procured under a design-build-finance-maintain contract by Via-Invest on behalf of NV De Scheepvaart, an autonomous agency that operates some waterways in Flanders.
It is undertaking a major expansion of the Albert Canal to allow ships to stack more containers (four layers). The PPP is part of a €300m project to increase the vertical clearance of 32 bridges on the canal that connects Liege with Antwerp. In addition to raising some bridges, narrow fixtures under bridges will also be removed.
Out of the 32 bridges that need to be rebuilt or raised, 15 will be rebuilt via the PPP programme, in two clusters. The contract currently out to tender covers the first cluster of seven bridges, which the private partner will deliver under a 30-year contract.
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