Purpose, Location The Oosterweel link (part of the TEN motorway Amsterdam-Paris) will close the northern part of the ring road around Antwerp. It is one of the major projects of the Master Plan made by the Flemish Government. The project is expected to significantly reduce the existing road traffic bottlenecks on the Antwerp Ring and provide more efficient access to the port by diverting heavy traffic from the city. The project closes the Antwerp ring road, reducing congestions on the highway network and mitigating traffic pressure in the urban region.The Oosterweel project is a structural investment with strong social and economic benefits. The SCBA for the project provides global positive benefits (direct benefits 15.4 billion euro) and indirect benefits on employment and increased productivity amounting to 2.9 billion euro. The Oosterweel project is budgeted at approximately 3.4bn. Euros, including land acquisition, soil remediation and preparatory works. The preparatory work on utility lines and drainage starts in 2015. The main works will start in 2017 and last for 5.5 years. The management company Antwerpen Mobiel (BAM SA), founded in 2003 as a public company for the realization of the Master Plan, has the mission to realise the Oosterweelconnection on the basis of tolls on the Scheldt crossings,

DescriptionThe Oosterweel link (length +/- 12.5 km) connects the main roads E17 (Ghent, France) and E34 (port Antwerp to coast) via a newly built Scheldt tunnel to the Antwerp ring R1 , the main roads to the Netherlands (E17,A12) and the hinterland (E34, E313,E19). The Oosterweel is a new section of motorway completing the Antwerp ring road to the north of the city by means of tunnels under the river Scheldt and in the docks and Albertcanal, thereby allowing traffic to bypass the city on both sides. By closing the ring the traffic flow will be improved considerably and will reduce the current traffic flow congestion around the city of Antwerp by providing an additional route for traffic to leave the cityThe project consists of two major components. One component is related to the infrastructure of the left bank (exit and entrances complex E17/E34 and Scheldt tunnel – distance 2.6 km) and the other component relates to the infrastructure of the right bank (exit and entrances complex Oosterweelnode via Canal tunnels to the ring R1 – north/south – distance 9.8 km).

Number and size of the works (procurement type selected)

The Oosterweelproject has been divided in a number of subprojects (modules) , based on the geographic split and the technical merits. For each part a separate public tendering process was set up as dueue to the size and the complexity of the project tendering as one single project is considered unachievable.

The split into subprojects is also considered advantageous for competition as otherwise the specific requirements for a specific part of the project could be the determining factor for the constitution of the tendering parties. The split into different projects makes them more open for smaller parties which will help competition. The split also reduces risks in the tendering and construction phase (mainly for delays as a delay in one subproject will not automatically result in delays in the other subprojects). On the other hand the split increases the risk in the interfaces.

The following subprojects have been defined:

Left Bank Infrastructure

Scheldt TunnelDry Dock

Oosterweel Port Complex

Canal Tunnels

NorthernR1

Technicalinstallations (TI)

Left Bank

This subproject includes the roadworks on the left bank including the technical installations.The process for obtaining the necessary permits as well as the tendering process will proceed the rest of the subprojects of the Oosterweel, as this subproject has his own merits with respect to traffic safety and mobility. It is expected that this part will be awarded in September 2017, and the works will start at the end of 2017.

Tunnel under the Scheldt and Dry Dock

This subproject includes the submerged tunnel under the River Scheldt including the connecting parts at both river banks and the Dry Dock in Bruges were the tunnel parts will be constructed. The technique for the construction of a submerged tunnel is work for specialists. There are only a limited number of companies that have sufficient experience in submerging a tunnel in a tidal river. To prevent that the limited number of qualified companies, would restrict competition for other parts of the project, this specialist work has been included in a separate subproject.

Right Bank (Oosterweel Node, Tunnel under the Canal and R1)

The Oosterweel Node, Tunnel under the Canal and R1 are included in one public tendering process which has been divided over two separate lots.The advantage of this procedure is that the tendering parties in their proposal can include discounts or suggestions for improvement if the 2 lots are awarded to one single tendering .

Technical installations for the Tunnel (TTI) – limit interference and operational risks

The technical installations of all subprojects except for the left bank have been separated from the civil works and are integrated into one subproject.If the TTI would be linked to the civil works of the different projects, the contractor of each subproject would be responsible for the internal integration, but would not have any responsibility for the compatibility of his respective TTI part with the TTI parts of the other subprojects. Therefore it is recommended to appoint one TTI contractor responsible for the integration of the various TTI components of the different subprojects. As it is crucial that the TTI work should run 100% reliable (also in the operational phase) it has been decided that BAM will request an additional guarantee from the contractor in the form a guaranteed availability contract (5 years). Since most of the problems with TTI parts materialise in the first years after installation BAM wants to assure the remediation of any problems with TTI material that might pop-up.

Funding

BAM NV will contract a loan agreement with the Flemish Government for the financing of the project. In practice BAM NV will issue bonds to which the Flemish government will subscribe based on predetermined terms and conditions.The Oosterweel project is fully financed with public funding in the construction phase and operation based on toll collection. Via the toll revenues the issued bonds are repaid and the company can bear operating costs and maintenance, as well as realize a normal return. Currently the project is also under appraisal by the European Investment Bank for financing 1 bn. Euros.

The multi-annual budget  incorporates the following expected budgetary expenditures (in keuro) for the Oosterweel link:

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022423.350 651.035 704.886 629.912 722.987

Pact for the future

Mid March the Flemish government has clinched a "historic agreement" with action groups about the Oosterweel link. All parties are accepting the completion of the highway network in de Antwerp region, including the Oosterweel-link, together with a strengthening of the modal shift and a large urban development programme.  Action groups such as Ademloos, stRaten-generaal and Ringland will abandon their attempts to stop the Oosterweelproject. They will also withdraw their procedure with the Council of State.