Herald Sun: Bidder chosen for Melbourne’s East West Link Prashant Mehra, 9 September 2014

The Victorian government has shortlisted the Lend Lease-led East West Connect consortium as the preferred bidder to build the eastern section of Melbourne’s East West Link. It will enter into final negotiations with the consortium before the start of major construction by late 2014.

“The East West Link will create thousands of new jobs, slash travel times for motorists and unlock the economic capacity of Victoria’s transport network,” federal Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Jamie Briggs said in a statement. The federal government is providing $3 billion towards both stages of the project.

The tender process initially involved competitive bidding by three bidders.

The East West Connect consortium comprises Lend Lease, French construction giant Bouygues, Spain’s Acciona Infrastructure and infrastructure investment outfit Capella Capital.

The losing consortium, Inner Link Group, included Macquarie Capital, Spain’s Cintra as well as Korea’s Samsung C&T.

The first stage of the East West Link will carry vehicles from the end of the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne’s north east to the Tullamarine Freeway and Melbourne Airport. The second stage will involve a link to the Western Ring Road in Melbourne’s west.

(Prashant.mehra@businessspectator.com.au)