ACCIONA and ACS inaugurate Montreal’s A-30

The A-30 is one of the most important transport infrastructure projects undertaken in Québec in the past 50 years.

The CAD$1.58bn (€1.23bn) highway will be managed by the Nouvelle Autoroute 30 concession, jointly owned by ACCIONA and ACS.

ACCIONA, a global provider of renewable energy, infrastructure and water services, and Spanish infrastructure group ACS, today joined federal and provincial ministers for the inauguration of Montreal's A-30, one of the most important transport infrastructure projects undertaken in Québec in the past 50 years.

The new, 42-km southern bypass, which will greatly relieve traffic congestion in the Greater Montreal Area, was designed, built and financed by a consortium led by ACCIONA and ACS. The CAD$1.58bn (€1.23bn) project includes singular engineering features such as a 2,550m bridge over the St Lawrence Seaway at Beauharnois, which is the longest « incrementally launched » bridge in North America, and the second-longest in the world. Its construction marked a technical milestone for ACCIONA.

The Nouvelle Autoroute 30 consortium, jointly owned by ACCIONA and ACS, will manage the new 42km highway, plus an additional 32km that was already built, for a concession period of 30 years.

The A30 was inaugurated by the Federal Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Denis Lebel, and the Québec Minister for Municipal Affairs and Transport, Sylvain Gaudreault, in the presence of the Vice-President of ACCIONA, Mr Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, and other authorities and company representatives.

« ACCIONA is very proud to have built this vital economic artery for Montreal and Québec, » said Mr Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, ACCIONA's Vice-President. « We look forward to deepening our engagement with Québec, through participation in new public private partnerships, such as the Nouvelle Autoroute 30, which are delivering the sustainable infrastructure that is improving the quality of life and the economic potential of the communities in which we operate.»

The completion of the A-30 is a significant milestone for ACCIONA, as the highway was the company's first major transport infrastructure project in Canada. The Québec Ministry of Transport awarded the contract in 2008 to a construction consortium composed of Dragados Canada (an ACS subsidiary) (40%), ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada (40%) and Canadian construction groups Aecon (16%) and Verreault (4%).

In addition to the capital injected by the consortium, the highway was financed with a CAD$804m syndicated credit and a construction subsidy from the Government of Québec and the Federal Government of Canada. The concession operator's revenue will come from availability payments agreed with the Québec government, and a toll charge for the use of a bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

Recognition for a landmark project

The A-30, which was delivered on time and to budget, has earned ACCIONA y ACS two of the most prestigious prizes in the concessions world thanks to the project's innovative features.

The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships bestowed its Gold Award to the A-30 consortium in 2008 for Innovation and Excellence in a PPP project. Project Finance International, the specialist publication, also named the A-30 project the North America Deal of the Year.

ACCIONA in Canada

ACCIONA has undertaken some of the most significant infrastructure projects in Canada in recent years.

In April 2010 the Company was awarded a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintenance contract by Alberta Transportation, the transport ministry of the Canadian province of Alberta, for the Southeast Stoney Trail highway, one of the main roadways included in the city of Calgary's transport plan, the concessionaire, Chinook Roads Partnership, a 50-50 joint venture between ACCIONA and its local partner, won 33.5-year the concession. The project-scheduled for completion in 2013-comprises a 25km section with three lanes in each direction and will be completely toll-free.

Windsor Essex Mobility Group, participated in equal parts by ACCIONA Infrastructure, ACS and Fluor, was selected to carry out the Windsor Essex Parkway project in the province of Ontario, Canada. The initial tender set an investment of CAD$1.6bn and the highway is expected to be opened to road traffic in 2014. Windsor Essex Mobility Group will build and run Ontario's largest-ever roadways investment. The design, build, finance and maintenance concession is for the Windsor Essex Parkway, an 11km motorway in Windsor (Ontario), in which the 401 highway (also located in Ontario) and the Interstate 75 (in Michigan, USA) will be connected by a bridge that is being built independently. Around 40% of cargo traffic between the US and Canada is expected to pass along this highway.

In the hospital sector, ACCIONA holds the first private-public project to be awarded to a Spanish company in Canada - a 30-year concession for the Royal Jubilee Hospital, in Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia. The 550-bed hospital, with 35,000 square meters of floor space, required an investment of CAD$300m.

In July 2009, ACCIONA was awarded the Build and Operate contract for the Fort St. John Hospital -opened in 2012- also in British Columbia, at an investment of CAD$270m.  The 55-bed hospital has an annex for seniors with an additional 123 beds, and covers a total 35,000 square meters.

ACCIONA's renewable energy division, ACCIONA Energy, is also present in Canada with four wind farms totaling 181MW in capacity.