OOSTERWEEL CONNECTION

The Oosterweel link (part of the TEN motorway Amsterdam-Paris) will close the northern part of the ring road around Antwerp. It is one of the major projects of the Master Plan made by the Flemish Government aimed to reduce traffic congestion in the Antwerp Region.

The Antwerp ring road is part of two Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) Core Network Corridors: North Sea – Baltic and North Sea – Mediterranean. The project will improve road traffic conditions on a section of a core road network. The project is expected to significantly reduce the existing road traffic bottlenecks on the Antwerp ring road and provide more efficient access to the port by diverting heavy traffic from the city. The project closes the Antwerp ring road, reducing congestions on the highway network and mitigating traffic pressure in the urban region. It also offers substantial safety and environmental benefits.

The project involves new road, bridge and tunnel construction in largely urban and industrial environment along a new alignment. The project falls under Annex I of environmental impact assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended, requiring a full EIA procedure. The project components cross the NATURA 2000 sites "Schelde en Durme-estuarium van de Nederlandse grens tot Gent" (BE2300006) and "De Kuifeend en Blokkersdijk" (BE2300222). Therefore, the provisions of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC, as amended) and Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) apply.

The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project will be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation (i.e. Directive 2014/24/EU where applicable, as well as Directive 89/665/EEC) as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the EU, as and where required.