- Press Release
Green light for ViA15: HOCHTIEF consortium finalises financing
Closing the gap in the European motorway network
- Financing agreements signed for A15 project in the Netherlands
- Contract model secures construction and 20 years of operation from a single provider
- Significant relief for the Arnhem-Nijmegen region and strengthening of the Rotterdam-Germany logistics axis
Starting signal in the Netherlands: On Tuesday (9 December), the GelreGroen consortium and the Dutch civil engineering agency Rijkswaterstaat reached financial close for the ViA15 project. This means that the financial conditions are now in place to extend the A15 motorway by 12 kilometres and widen sections of the existing A12 and the existing A15. HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions is implementing the project together with its consortium partners Besix, Dura Vermeer, John Laing and Van Oord. The project includes planning and construction as well as financing and maintenance of the route over a period of 20 years. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with the road opening to traffic at the end of 2031.
Focus on the life cycle
”Infrastructure projects of this magnitude only work holistically these days. Whoever implements them should also be able to operate them efficiently for decades,” explains Peter Coenen, Managing Director at HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions. “This responsibility requires all parties involved to think about operations in 2051 as early as the planning stage. This improves construction quality and ensures long-term cost efficiency for the public sector.”
The project addresses a massive bottleneck problem in European freight transport. The road network around Arnhem is congested, which slows down the region's economic development and leads to daily traffic jams on the A12, A50 and N325. Closing the gap will create a direct connection between the port of Rotterdam and Germany. This will improve accessibility to the Liemers and Achterhoek regions and increase road safety by separating through traffic from regional traffic.
45 new bridges and a green concept
The technical dimension of the project is complex: it comprises ten traffic intersections and 45 bridge structures, including a new crossing over the Pannerdensch Canal. One focus is on integrating the motorway into the environment. Under the name “GelreGroen”, the consortium is implementing a “nature-inclusive design”. In addition to noise protection measures and the efficient reuse of materials, this also includes the construction of a fast cycle route parallel to the motorway on behalf of the Province of Gelderland.
The project is being financed by a consortium of twelve banks, including the European Investment Bank (EIB). This gives the investment project a broad and sustainable financial foundation. After the Dutch Council of State declared the route decision irrevocable in October 2024, the financial close now reached clears all hurdles for the operational start.
