OREANDA-NEWS. A EUR 160m loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will help to finance the construction of a 33 km motorway section in Southern Germany. Connecting Pastetten and Heldenstein, the section will be part of the A94 project which, once finished, will improve the traffic flow between the Bavarian capital Munich and the Austrian city of Linz. The 4-lane motorway section will be built on the basis of a public-private partnership between the Free State of Bavaria, represented by the Autobahndirektion S?dbayern, and a consortium of three experienced contractors: BAM, Eiffage and Berger Bau.

The consortium, which will receive EIB financing amounting to roughly 50% of the long-term funding requirement, is responsible not only for designing and building the motorway but also for operating and maintaining it. The maintenance and operation of two adjacent stretches, totalling 44 km, are also part of the 30-year contract. For the Free State of Bavaria this project and procurement structure has the advantage of being more reliable in terms of timing and final costs. The construction is scheduled to start in the coming months and should be completed in the second half of 2019.

“Supporting sustainable roads is one of the goals of the EU bank,” said Ambroise Fayolle, the EIB Vice-President responsible for lending in Germany and Austria. “We are glad to be a partner in this project, as it will facilitate transport in major industrial regions of two countries. By shortening the distance on this important European East-West connection, the motorway between Pastetten and Heldenstein will make it easier for companies in Germany and Austria to do business and safer for everybody to get from A to B."

The completion of the A94 is among the priorities listed in the latest Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (Bundesverkehrswegeplan). The section included in this project will alleviate traffic on the existing but saturated federal road B12, which reports one of the highest accident rates in Bavaria. Vehicles seeking an alternative often use minor roads, which causes inconvenience and disruption to local inhabitants. The new section is also expected to draw traffic from two motorways running North (via Passau) and South (via Salzburg). Once completed, the A94 will be 30 km shorter than the existing routes, thereby contributing to a significant decrease in CO2 emissions from long-distance traffic. Furthermore it will substantially shorten travelling times and reduce transport costs.