Completion of the $655 million Abigroup contract provides motorists with uninterrupted freeway from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula.
The project was completed in less than three years, during which three million cubic metres of earth were moved, 45 bridge structures were built and 407,800 tonnes of asphalt were laid to complete the 27km of two-lane dual carriageway.
In addition to delivering the construction component of the contract, Abigroup?s sister company Lend Lease?s infrastructure services business is responsible for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the road for the next 25 years.
?Peninsula Link is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Abigroup in Victoria,? said Abigroup acting managing director David Saxelby.
?The project has been of immense importance and interest, not only to the organisation but also to the Victorian Government and industry at large, due to the funding model under which it was delivered.?
?It has been some 40 years since this project was first touted and marked in the third edition of the Melway as a future road corridor for our state,? said Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu.
?The road is the first to be delivered in Australia under the availability PPP model, which has more commonly been used for the delivery of social infrastructure,? said Saxelby.
?Under the model, the private sector is responsible for constructing, financing, operating and maintaining the road, in return for repayments from the government over an agreed term.
?The repayments are subject to successful ongoing operations and maintenance, ensuring that road quality and safety remain high priorities.?
Abigroup has a history of infrastructure delivery in Victoria, having completed projects including the Geelong Bypass, Pakenham Bypass and Craigieburn Bypass as well as high profile interstate projects including the M7 Motorway in New South Wales and the Gateway Upgrade Project in Queensland.
Sources: Abigroup, www.premier.vic.gov.au