computer generated over-water bridge with another bridge in background

Infrastructure

Connecting industries in Norway through infrastructure

Macquarie Capital-led consortium Sotra Link to solve one of Norway’s most significant traffic bottlenecks and bring economic growth to the Vestland region.

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Sector	Infrastructure
Sub-sector	Transport
Location	Norway

Opportunity

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) sought to strengthen the links between Norway’s second-largest city of Bergen and the adjacent island of Sotra by improving the quality of the highway infrastructure that connects these two parts of the western county of Vestland.

To increase capacity, shorten travel times and cut traffic congestion, the NPRA awarded multinational consortium Sotra Link a €2 billion public-private-partnership (PPP) contract to finance, design, build and operate a 9.4 kilometre, four-lane road link.

The new road network includes a 4.6-kilometre road in twin-tube tunnels and a 900-metre, four-lane suspension bridge, infrastructure for public transport, and dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths. Three further smaller bridges are also included in the project.

The project is the largest and most complex of the Norwegian government’s planned road PPPs in its 2018-2029 National Transport Plan, and the largest infrastructure contract to date¹, as well as the biggest PPP contract awarded in Europe in 2021².

Approach

Macquarie Capital formed the Sotra Link consortium with South Korean civil engineering company SK ecoplant and Italy’s Webuild, with FCC Construction leading the build and Intertoll Europe operating the completed project.

This brought together extensive experience in implementing PPP contracts and the construction of suspension bridges and tunnels. It delivered a competitive bid that balanced timeline and budget with a focus on sustainability and traffic safety. Sotra Link will operate and maintain the development for 25 years.

Thanks to an exceptionally good collaboration with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, we have covered and resolved many of the classic challenges, even before signing the final contract, that emerge in large construction projects. It has also been very inspiring to work closely with so many talented people in the Sotra Link consortium.”

Christopher M. Bjerke
Chief Executive Officer, Sotra Link

Outcome

The state-of-the-art bridge and tunnel system will reduce travel time for the community, improve traffic safety and streamline industry connections to urban centres.

The Sotra Connection project is scheduled to open to traffic in 2027, marking another critical piece of infrastructure for the future enabled by Macquarie Capital.