Spanish team picked to tackle $190m Australian bridge

A consortium made up of Spanish contractors Ferrovial and Acciona has been selected to design and build a 1.5km-long bridge in northeast New South Wales.

The Clarence River Crossing project on the Pacific Highway, about 150km south of Brisbane, is worth US$190m.

The Ferrovial-Acciona consortium will design and build the bridge, which will be 30m in height and will carry a four-lane highway.

The companies have some experience of working in this part of the world. In 2014. Ferrovial’s first project in Australia was a deal to upgrade a 19.5km stretch of the same road, which it also undertook in partnership with Acciona.

Last year, its subsidiary, Cintra, along with Plenary Group and Acciona Concesiones, was awarded the US$1.2bn Toowoomba Second Range Crossing highway in Queensland.

Ferrovial Agroman will handle the design and building and Australian asset management company Broadspectrum will carry out the operation and maintenance.

Spain’s ACS is another large player in Australia, through its ownership of Germany’s Hochtief, which has a controlling interest in Cimic.

The Pacific Highway connects Sydney and Brisbane, and is one of the country’s busiest roads. The expansion and upgrading work is being co-financed by the governments of Australia and New South Wales.

Image: The four-lane bridge will run alongside the existing two-lane structure (Ferrovial)