Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Directorate - General for Public Works and Water Management, has awarded the Dutch A12 motorway PPP contract to Heijmans and 3i Infrastructure.

Commercial closure of the project is envisaged for mid-July.

This integrated design build finance maintain (DBFM) contract has a value of over €80 million (US$109.5 million).

The contract is to widen the A12 motorway from 2x2 lanes to 2x3 lanes between the municipality of Ede and the Grijsoord intersection and to maintain this route for the next 16 years once it is completed. An improved traffic flow, less traffic jams and improved road safety are key-targets of the project.

The A12 section between the municipalities of Veenendaal and Ede, that had been widened in 2008, also forms part of the contract.

The A12 is one of the most important motorways in Holland going from the Hague, in the West, to the German border in the East (about 140km).

In late June we reported that Rijkswaterstaat had published a prior information notice (PIN) for a PPP project to develop the new N18 Groenlo-Enschede highway. The project will be developed on a design, build, finance, operation and maintenance (DBFOM) basis for a period of 25 years after construction.

This project involves the development a 44km highway, made up a 2+1 stretch between  Groenlo - Haaksbergen with a length of 20km, and a 2+2 stretch between  Haaksbergen - Enschede with a length of 7.2km.