VINCI wins public-private partnership contract for East End Crossing in Indiana (USA)

Regulatory News:

WVB East End Partners, the consortium led by Vinci Concessions (Paris:DG) (33.3%) with Walsh Investors (33.3%) and Bilfinger Berger PI International Holdings (33.3%), has been named preferred bidder for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Ohio River Bridges Project’s East End Crossing by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA).

The public-private agreement is for a 2,500 feet-long (762 metres) cable-stayed bridge across the Ohio River that will link Louisville, Kentucky to Southern Indiana, a 1,680 feet in length (512 metres) twin-bore tunnel on the Kentucky approach to the bridge, and 19 additional bridges, along with associated roadway improvements and other related infrastructure work. The new East End Bridge will be located about 8 miles (13 km) from downtown Louisville, connecting the Gene Snyder Freeway to the Lee Hamilton Highway.

The works, scheduled to take 3.5 years, will be executed by a design-build joint venture including Walsh Construction (60%), VINCI Construction Grands Projets (40%) and Jacobs Engineering for the engineering works. Construction is set to commence in the summer of 2013 and completion is expected by autumn 2016.

The total value of the contract is around $1 billion (approximately €780 million).

The consortium, led by VINCI Concessions, will be responsible for the operation, routine maintenance and rehabilitation of the infrastructure for a period of 35 years. It will be paid through license-fees calculated on the basis of the infrastructure’s availability.

The East End Crossing is part of the broader Ohio River Bridges Project, one of the largest transport improvements in the United States. It will address traffic congestion issues and improve transport safety.