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Dredging International, as a partner in the Coentunnel Company, signed contract for “Capacity Expansion Coentunnel Route” in The Netherlands

Today Rijkswaterstaat and Coentunnel Company B.V. signed the contract for the  “Capacity Expansion Coentunnel Route”. This involves a so-called DBFM-contract (Design, Build, Finance en Maintain) with a duration of 30 years and a total value of approximately € 500 million.

Characteristic for a DBFM-agreement is that the contractor takes care of the design and realisation, as well as the financing and maintenance. Coentunnel Company bears the financing of the activities herself and receives her revenues out of the future availability payments, based on the actual availability of the road system for the road users.

The activities consist of several segments. First Coentunnel Company takes on the maintenance of the existing Coentunnel route for 30 years as of the effective date. The State of The Netherlands remains the owner and manager through Rijkswaterstaat. Simultaneously Coentunnel Company will prepare and realise the construction of a Second Coentunnel with access roads and facilities. After the new tunnel is brought into use, the old Coentunnel will be renovated, after which the Coentunnel route will consist of 2 tunnels with a total of 8 traffic lanes.

Coentunnel Company B.V. consists of Arcadis, BESIX, CFE, Dredging International, Dura Vermeer, TBI Bouw (represented by Haverkort Voormolen) and Vinci. During the 2 year lasting tender procedure the Dutch/Belgium/French consortium was assisted at financial level by Rabobank and RebelGroup, while Clifford Chance rendered legal assistance.

In its recent history, Dredging International has participated, as a partner and/or contractor in the construction of the Piet Heintunnel in Amsterdam,The Netherlands, in the River Lee Tunnel in Cork, Ireland and in the tunnels under the river Scheldt and the river Rupel in the Antwerp area.

Contact : Hubert Fiers (Tel : +32.3.250.52.20 or Mobile : +32.475 29.08.29)