Skip to main content

Canada: National Bank and Axium refinance Sea-to-Sky Highway

National Bank Financial and Axium Infrastructure have refinanced the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project in the Canadian province of British Columbia. A statement from Axium said that the US$427 million 25-year public-private-partnership had “strong investor support and an A2 rating from Moody’s”. The Sea-to-Sky Highway Investment Limited Partnership - Axium Infrastructure, Régime de Rentes du Mouvement Desjardins and Nova Scotia Pension Agency - is the consortium in charge of the concession. In
July 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
National Bank Financial and Axium Infrastructure have refinanced the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

A statement from Axium said that the US$427 million 25-year public-private-partnership had “strong investor support and an A2 rating from Moody’s”.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway Investment Limited Partnership - Axium Infrastructure, Régime de Rentes du Mouvement Desjardins and Nova Scotia Pension Agency - is the consortium in charge of the concession.

In 2010 the Axium consortium acquired 100% of the original 25-year design-build-finance-operate concession contract of the project from the concession holders, 2378 Macquarie Essential Assets Partnership, MEAP). The province retains ownership of the highway.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway is part of Highway 99 from West Vancouver to Whistler, site of the Winter Olympic Games in February 2010. But it was in 2005 that the provincial ministry of transportation began road upgrades under the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project.

Major improvements were completed in late 2009 that saw the road go from a winding two-lane mountain road to a smoother often four-lane highway. Work included upgrading 95km of the road, constructing 48 bridges and interchanges and more than 200 retaining walls.

Apart from Macquarie Group, which was the project manager, other original concession partners were Peter Kiewit Sons as design-builder, Hatch 2579 Mott MacDonald for engineering work and design, JJM Construction, ND Lea, McElhanney Engineering Services, Miller Paving and Capilano Highway Services. The concession holder invested around $400m in its contract to design, build, finance and operate a highway in its 25-year performance-based contract.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Turkish highways and bridge project financing secured
    June 7, 2018
    The financing package that will pay for Turkey’s €2.43 billion Malkara to Çanakkale highway and 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has now been secured. This follows on from Mott MacDonald completing its technical due diligence of the project documentation. The project will be handled under the PPP model. The centrepiece of the project is the €1.68 billion Çanakkale 1915 bridge. This will be over 4.6km long, with a 2,023m main span that will be the longest in the world for a suspension bridge. It will allow a clearance
  • New design consultant partnership
    July 7, 2017
    A new strategic design consultant partnership is now being formed between infrastructure group Balfour Beatty, Atkins, Mott MacDonald and WSP. The collaborative UK Strategic Design Consultant Partnership is said to offer a new level of openness, collaboration and innovation for the construction industry.
  • Egis wins Olympic gold in Briançon
    July 25, 2025
    Egis will project manage a dedicated public transport lane for the RD1091 in the Hautes-Alpes department of the French Alps for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Briançon and the Serre-Chevalier valley.
  • Aecon sells Ontario road business to GIP
    May 18, 2023
    Canadian infrastructure group Aecon has sold its Ontario-based construction and aggregates business Aecon Transportation East to Green Infrastructure Partners.