The document summarizes a project to complete a missing road link between northern and southern Limburg in Belgium. Key details include that it will be an 11km road including 2.5km of tunnels at an estimated cost of €380 million. It will be delivered using a DBFM procurement model with a 30-year maintenance period. Stakeholders have had mixed reactions at public meetings. The tendering process involves initial concept proposals, then a second round with 3 shortlisted bidders submitting full technical proposals in 2013. The evaluation focuses on added value, design quality, management plans, and technical criteria while providing bidders flexibility in meeting environmental targets.

1. N74 North South Connection Limburg
Ir. M. Blomme
PPP EXPERT MEETING – 7/6/12
Brussels

2. N74 North-South Connection
Limburg

4. 1. Project information
• Description of the project: completion of the missing
link between North of Limburg and the E314
Highway
• 11 km roads, of which 2,5 km tunnels
• 3 major exchanges
• More than 40% of total cost: civil works
(tunnel, viaduct, bridges)

5. 1. Project information
• Challenges:
• Expropriation
• European protection zones : mitigitation
• DBFM-minded environmental and planning
reports
• Parallel procedures

6. N74
SEGMENT 1
OMLEIDING
Managementcomité NOORDZUIDVERBINDING 28 april 2008
SEGMENT 0
SEGMENT 2
13 N715
Helchteren
Toelichting Planalternatieven

7. KENMERKEN BASISALTERNATIEF SEGMENT 1 : noord
N715
SEGMENT 3
SEGMENT 4
Houthalen
13
SEGMENT 5
E314
Toelichting Planalternatieven

8. 1. Project information
• DBFM
• Construction cost: € 380 mio
• Construction period est. 3 years
• Maintenance 30 years

9. 2 . Stakeholders
• Public meetings:
• Local government: +
• Environmental groups: +/-
• Economic organisations: +
• Action commitee: -
• Dry Run Reference Design: evaluation by planning authorities
• System Engineering vs ER and spatial planning
• Risk management reports

10. 3. Tendering process
• Selection fase, 5 bidders
• Tendering fase:
• 1st offer (evaluation ongoing): limited
information, limited design costs
• 2nd offer (max. 3 bidders, 2013): full technical
proposal

11. 3. Tendering procedure

12. 3. Tendering proces:
• First offer evaluation by authority and experts
• Acceptance criteria:
• Price (maximum limit)
• Technical criteria
• Design quality and project vision
• Management Plan
• Technical quality
• Focus on “added value” and differences between
offers

13. 3. Tendering proces:
• Detailed offer on segment 5 (landscape vision,
architecture of bridges, building management plan)

14. 3. Tendering process
• Functional criteria derived from enviromental report:
degree of freedom contractor vs. rigidity
administrative conditions
• Dont say:
• “build a noise barrier 3 meters high”
• but say:
• “maintain the noise level below 3dbA under
the current level”

15. Conclusion
• DBFM procedure = top end contractors
• Degree of creativity
• Limited validity period of financing:
• max. 3 months
• 9 months required (financial close after
building permit)