qld govt to announce road tunnel builder

2 chances out of 3

AAP

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh will unveil the preferred bidder for Australia's biggest public-private partnership.

Three groups have submitted bids for two major road tunnel projects - the $2.5 billion, 7 kilometre Airport Link toll road and the $777 million Windsor to Kedron section of the Northern Busway.

The three groups bidding for the projects are: BrisConnections (Macquarie Capital Group, Thiess, John Holland), NorthConnect Motorway (Baulderstone Hornibrook, Abigroup, Bilfinger Berger Civil, Babcock & Brown) and Northern Motorway (Leighton Contractors, ABN AMRO Australia).

An evaluation team has been working since December last year to assess the bids, based on engineering design, traffic benefits, environmental outcomes, community outcomes and value-for-money.

The Airport Link underground toll road will be Australia's biggest Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project.

The same contractor will also design and build the Windsor to Kedron section of the $777 million state-funded Northern Busway, before handing it back to the state to operate and maintain.

The contract is expected to be finalised in September this year, with both projects due to be completed in 2012.

Both projects are being managed by City North Infrastructure, a wholly-owned Queensland government company.

Ms Bligh will make the announcement at 0920 AEST Monday.