The Victorian Government announced that it would build the North East Link (NEL) Project completing the missing link in Melbourne’s cross-city orbital road network between the M80 Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway. This followed Infrastructure Victoria’s designation of North East Link as a high priority infrastructure project for the State in its 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy released in 2016.
The long-awaited North East Link tunnels will be built, financed, operated and maintained by the Spark Consortium, who has been awarded the North East Link Primary Package PPP. The consortium comprises Webuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering and Construction, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing Investments, Pacific Partnerships and DIF.
The $11.1 billion North East Link Primary Package PPP is the largest transport project in Victorian history and the largest PPP in Australian history. It will provide 6.5km three-lane twin tunnels that will finally close the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network.
Donald Cant Watts Corke provided lenders technical advisory support to the Spark Consortium providing financiers with an objective assessment of the technical risks associated with the design, construction methodology and staging, program, commissioning and handover, and the ongoing operations and maintenance for a specified period following handover of the works.
The North East Link will take 15,000 trucks off local roads each day, giving local roads back to communities of up to 135,000 vehicles each day, with travel times slashed between Melbourne’s north and south east by up to 35 minutes.
This $11.1 billion project is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.
Key Personnel
Peter Gill, Managing Director and Project Director – DCWC
Andrew Loh, Director and Project Lead – DCWC