Partner Article

Bidding Starts For New Tyne Crossing

Three short-listed bidders have been invited to tender for the contract to construct the New Tyne Crossing.

The shortlisted bidders are Bouygues Travaux Publics SA; Connect North East, comprising Balfour Beatty Capital Projects Ltd and Volker Stein Construction Europe bv; and T4, comprising Edmund Nuttall Ltd, Mowlem plc and Vinci SA. They have until August 4 to return their tenders, after which evaluation and negotiations will take place.

A decision on the winning bid is expected in autumn 2007. The winning consortium, known as the Concessionaire, will then be appointed to operate the existing vehicle, pedestrian and cycle tunnels and will design, construct and operate the new crossing - an immersed tube tunnel between East Howdon (North Tyneside) and Jarrow (South Tyneside).

The Transport Secretary has given the go-ahead for the building of the tunnel but a legal challenge has been made to this decision. The hearing of this challenge will be held in the High Court on April 5, 2006. The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA) deputy chairman Councillor Tom Hanson, said: “This is a significant stage in delivering the New Tyne Crossing.

“The TWPTA and its local council partners in North and South Tyneside will continue to work closely together to ensure that the impact of construction on local communities is kept to a minimum.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .