The public-private partnership (PPP) road project for the highway 8 (A8) between Ulm and Augsburg has achieved the conclusion of the financing negotiations, the so-called financial close, in accordance with plans. The participating companies - HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions, a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF Concessions, and the STRABAG SE subsidiary HERMANN KIRCHNER Projektgesellschaft - were only awarded the contract in April. Now the partners will be planning, financing and upgrading the 58-kilometer section of federal highway, and subsequently operate and maintain it for 30 years. The investment volume of the project is around EUR 410 million.
The construction joint venture (construction JV), in which HEILIT+WOERNER Bau, another STRABAG Group company, and HOCHTIEF Solutions each have a 50 percent shareholding, will already commence work in July. First of all, the construction JV will set up the construction site in the area of Zusmarshausen and commence numerous types of preliminary work: amongst others, this work includes archeological ground surveys, the preparation of the working area and the provisional traffic routing for the construction site. In addition to this from July three temporary bridges will be built in the area of three junctions connecting to the road network. The earthworks are then scheduled to commence in September. The construction measures will last a total of around four years.
HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions and HERMANN KIRCHNER Projektgesellschaft both have a 50 percent shareholding in the concession company, and they will also be responsible for operating the section. From the start of the concession the consortium will receive most of the truck toll collected from the section. These earnings will refinance the investments.