Tendering procedure started for widening of Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht A9 section

On Wednesday 31 January 2018 the tendering procedure for the widening of the section of the A9 motorway between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht was started. This project is part of the road expansion programme for the A9 between Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam and Almere, aimed at improving the accessibility of and the living conditions in the northern part of the Randstad conurbation. Contractor consortiums that are interested can register for the tendering procedure via Tenderned. The contract is expected to be awarded in mid-2019.

The A9 motorway will be widened from three to four traffic lanes between the junctions of Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. In many places, new noise barriers will also be erected and the road will be fitted out with noise-reducing asphalt. In addition, at Amstelveen the A9 will become semi-sunk over a length of 1.3 kilometres, and will be covered in three locations. The semi-sunk realisation will offer noise reduction, and the covers will link Amstelveen’s north to the south again.

Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management: ‘This is part of the biggest project currently conducted by the Directorate General of Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat, RWS), and it will be a wonderful challenge for the building contractor that wins the contract. For people in the northern part of the Randstad, the A9 widening to four traffic lanes in either direction will bring improved accessibility. For Amstelveen’s residents it is good news as well: the semi-sunk realisation at Amstelveen will help reduce noise nuisance, and the three artfully designed covers will reunite the two sides of the divided city.’

Planning
The project will be executed via a so-called ‘Design, Build, Finance and Maintain’ contract, which means that the selected contractor consortium will be responsible for all of these aspects, including 14 years of maintenance of the section concerned. The first vehicles should start using the new and improved A9 in 2026 at the latest.

Dialogue
The tendering procedure will occur via a dialogue designed to promote competition. This means that contractors will consult intensively with RWS during a period of approx. one year, about things like the smartest technical approach, reduction of traffic disturbances during execution, the main risks, and the opportunities offered by the project. All contractor consortiums will subsequently draw up an action plan setting out what they feel are the best ways to control the main risks and exploit the project-specific opportunities. Together with Oxand, Witteveen+Bos will staff RWS’s technical team that is to support the tendering procedure and the dialogue phase.

Contract awarding
The contract will be awarded based on the best price/quality ratio. When the tenders are assessed not only the price will be taken into account, but also the quality of the proposals issued by the consortiums. The actual construction work is expected to start in early 2020.