The four invited groups have lodged bids for the US$480M Lane Cove highway design-build-finance-operate concession in New South Wales, Australia, that will link Sydney’s city centre with its northern suburbs.
The four are: TunnelLink Ltd, comprising Japan’s Obayashi Corporation, Macquarie Bank and Abigroup (Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Hills Motorway Group have both pulled out); Land Cove Expressway, involving Baulderstone Hornibrook (and its German parent Bilfinger Berger), Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Transurban; Lane Cove Tunnel Consortium, consisting of Thiess Contractors and ABN Amro; and Land Cove Motorway, comprising Leighton Holdings and Deutsche Bank.
NSW transport minister Carl Scully confirmed that all groups, which were shortlisted in July 2002 (see T&TI June 2002, p6), submitted tenders on 22 January 2002 for the 3.4km Lane Cove twin tunnel.
The successful group will be appointed later this year so that work can start for completion in 2006. It will also operate the tunnel for 30 years before handing the tunnel back to the state.
The tunnel will connect the eastern end of the M2 expressway with the Gore Hill freeway at Artarmon.
In December, Bilfinger Berger, its Australian subsidiary Baulderstone Hornibrook, together with Hong Kong’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, and Deutsche Bank won a deal to build Sydney’s US$379M, 2km twin tube Cross City road tunnel for the NSW government (see T&TI January 2002, p15).
