3 consortia shortlisted for Melbourne's $5.5b Western Distributor project

Victorian Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan today announced three consortia have been chosen to tender for the design and construction of Melbourne's second river crossing - the $5.5 billion Western Distributor - that will create 5600 jobs. 

The consortia that have been selected following a rigorous expression of interest process are: 

• John Holland and CPB Contractors 
• Lend Lease Engineering and Bouygues Construction 
• An international consortium of Salini Impregilo, Fluor Australia and Lane Worldwide Infrastructure.

All the constructors have a proven track record building freeways, tunnels and landmark bridges in highly urbanised environments and achieving high quality urban design outcomes. Furthermore, the contractors have been called to deliver innovative design and construction methods that will ensure the best outcome for motorists and the community.

A reference design is being developed which will take into account feedback from extensive consultation with local government, local residents and businesses and the freight industry.

The world-class constructors will prepare fully costed designs for the Western Distributor, which includes the: 

• widening of the West Gate Freeway
• a tunnel under Yarraville
• a second river crossing
• connections to the port, CityLink and the city.

Video: Western Distributor Project - A Summary, Transurban & Victorian State Government 

To ensure planning certainty for the community, the reference design and any innovative solutions developed by tenderers will be thoroughly and transparently assessed through the Environmental Effects Statement process.

The contract will be signed by late 2017 with the project to commence construction soon after and be completed in 2022.

More about the tender process: 

The Western Distributor was put out to market in early May 2016, two weeks after being full funded in the Victorian Budget 2016/17. After an extensive market engagement process, five firms were invited to express interest including

• John Holland and CPB Contractors Joint Venture
• Lend Lease and Bouygues Joint Venture
• Rizzani De Eccher Australia P/L
• Bechtel Infrastructure Australia P/L
• Salini Impregilo S.p.A

You can read more about the project going out to market here. 

Image: Western Distributor Project - A Summary, Transurban & Victorian State Government 

More about the Western Distributor:

The Victorian Government and Transurban are partnering to build the $5.5 billion Western Distributor Project, which includes the Monash Freeway Upgrade and access improvements for Webb Dock.

The Western Distributor addresses a number of critical challenges in relation to traffic, growth and liveability across Melbourne. The project will create 5,600 new jobs, provide a much-needed alternative to the West Gate Bridge, remove thousands of trucks from local streets, and deliver an $11 billion boost to Victoria’s economy.