GRAND CONTOURNEMENT OUEST DE STRASBOURG (A355)

The project consists of the construction of a 24km motorway by-passing the city of Strasbourg in the west. It will connect the A4 motorway, located in the north of Strasbourg, to the A35 and the A352, in the south. It therefore aims at ensuring the continuity of the motorway connection on the corridor and providing an alternative to the saturated section of the A35 running through the centre of Strasbourg (up to 160.000 vehicles per day). The road is part of the comprehensive TEN-T network. The project is tendered as a 55-year concession (délégation de service public). The concession will transfer the demand risk on this greenfield, tolled motorway to the borrower.

The project will help to reduce significantly the level of congestion on the existing A35 motorway, thereby contributing to faster travel times for road users.

The project falls under Annex I of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2011/92/EU) and an EIA, including public consultation, was performed in accordance with the directive. No Natura 2000 area is located in the vicinity of the project but several natural zones of interest for ecology, fauna and flora (zones d'intérêt écologique faunistique et floristique (ZNIEFF)) will be crossed by the project, as well as two protection areas for the Great Hamster of Alsace, as defined in 2012. All relevant approvals up to the present phase of the project have been obtained. The declaration of public utility was signed on 23 January 2008. Compliance with the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive (2001/42/EC), EIA Directive (2011/92/EU), Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Birds Directives (2009/147/EC) will be reviewed by the Bank at appraisal and will include the position of the European Commission on the measures implemented by the French government for the protection of the Great Hamster of Alsace and their compatibility with EU legislation.

The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project have been/shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation (Directives 2004/18/EC as well as Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC) as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required. The notice of a competitive public tender for the prequalification of candidates was published on 19 February 2014 in the Official Journal of the EU (No 2014/S 038-062150).

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