Skip to main content

A6 project between Weinsberg and Wiesloch/Rauenberg set to start

Work will soon start on the €1.3 billion project to widen a stretch of the A6 motorway, one of Germany’s most congested highways. Both sides of the motorway between the Weinsberg and Wiesloch/Rauenberg junctions will be expanded. On 25 km of the section being expanded under the project – altogether 47.1 km – the number of lanes will be increased from four to six. The project also encompasses the construction of the 1.3km-long Neckartal Bridge. Preparatory work for the public-private partnership has
January 26, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Work will soon start on the €1.3 billion project to widen a stretch of the A6 motorway, one of Germany’s most congested highways.

Both sides of the motorway between the Weinsberg and Wiesloch/Rauenberg junctions will be expanded.

On 25 km of the section being expanded under the project – altogether 47.1 km – the number of lanes will be increased from four to six. The project also encompasses the construction of the 1.3km-long Neckartal Bridge.

Preparatory work for the public-private partnership has already begun with project completion in about five and half years, in July 2022. Clients for the project are the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, the state of Baden-Württemberg and Stuttgart Regional Board.

The Federal Government, represented by the regional administrative council (Regierungspräsidium) of Stuttgart, had initially put the roadworks to public tender. This PPP project is designed as a business model type 'A' - or availability model – where the Federal Government makes payment to the private contractor based on the passability of the lanes.

Apart from construction work, the project involves operation and maintenance for the entire 47.1km section over 30 years. The bidding consortium ViA6West made up of the construction firms 981 Hochtief and 1249 Johann Bunte Bauunternehmung together with the financial investor 3634 DIF Infrastructure IV was awarded the concession to carry out the PPP project last October. Construction accounts for around €600 million of this total. Hochtief PPP Solutions has a 30% share in ViA6West, DIF has 50% and Johann Bunte holds 20%.

Consulting engineers Schüßler-Plan was leader of an interdisciplinary advisory team consisting of engineers, lawyers, financial service providers and business consultants. The team worked on conceptual design, consulting and management of the complex bidding procedure. Schüßler-Plan itself carried out economic feasibility studies.

Consulting engineers 1419 Arup provided technical due diligence for one of the bidders and the banks.

The project is qualified for the Juncker Plan under which the EIB –European Investment Bank - and the European Commission provide funds for infrastructure projects in order to overcome the current investment shortfall in Europe. KfW IPEX-Bank is offering a tranche as a project bond, which involves the project company placing the bond on the capital market.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Mexico: OHL to bid for La Raza-Indios Verdes-Santa Clara contract
    June 22, 2015
    OHL Mexico, a subsidiary of Spanish construction firm OHL, has confirmed it will bid for the construction and operation contract for Mexico’s La Raza-Indios Verdes-Santa Clara motorway. The 9.5km road worth around US$364 million will be let as a public-private partnership under the federal government’s National Infrastructure Programme, Mexico’s El Economista newspaper reported. A total of 14 companies are interested in the project, including Pinfra, Ideal, Prodemex, China Harbour Engineering Mexico
  • Philippines expressway tender reopening
    October 31, 2014
    The Philippines Government plans to reopen the tender process for the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) project. This public-private partnership (PPP) project is valued at some US$791.7 million. The 47km toll road project will feature a 35-year concession covering design and construction, as well as financing and operation. The earlier bid from Optimal Infrastructure Development, a unit of San Miguel, was disqualified due to technical reasons. With this disqualification, Team Orion became the party with the
  • Serbian highway plans
    March 19, 2012
    Serbian contractor Milos Trans will start work on the Serbia’s Corridor 11 highway during 2012. The firm will carry out work on the stretch running from Preljina to Takovo.
  • ITF publish report: ‘Better Regulation of Public-Private Partnerships for Transport Infrastructure’
    October 15, 2013
    The International Transport Forum (ITF) has published a new report on how better regulated Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can improve funding and delivery of transport infrastructure. The ITF highlights how PPPs have become an important tool for governments to attract private finance for infrastructure investments. In the face of tight budgets, PPPs are seen as a means to maintain transport investment and limit public spending at the same time.