The Société de la Rocade L2 de Marseille, formed by Bouygues Construction (Bouygues Travaux Publics, the lead company, Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France, DTP Terrassement and Bouygues Energies & Services), Colas Midi-Méditerranée, Spie batignolles, Egis, Meridiam Infrastructure and CDC Infrastructure, has signed a partnership contract with the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy for the new Marseille bypass, known as the L2 or the A507.

This 30-year public-private partnership covers the financing, design, construction, upkeep, maintenance and renewal of the engineering structures and equipment of the infrastructure. The largest infrastructure project awarded in France in 2013, the total investment amounts to €620 million.

The L2 will take traffic away from the centre of Marseille and decongest the city thanks to the creation of a toll-free urban expressway approximately 10 kilometres long, which will link the A7 motorway (leading north to Aix-en-Provence) and the A50 (an eastbound motorway towards Aubagne and Toulon). It will also allow the urban regeneration of neighbourhoods served by the road. The L2 will make it possible for a number of projects to be carried out which will encourage the development of public transport services.

Two distinct stretches will be designed and built: a completely new section to the north of the city (4.1 km) and completion of the construction of the east section, 5.5 kilometres long, begun some twenty years ago.

The new link will deploy the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting and ventilation systems. There will be more than 500 people working onsite at peak periods. The works will last four years, with handover of the whole bypass scheduled for October 2017.

When all construction is complete, the infrastructure will be operated by the Mediterranean division of the French Interdepartmental Highways Authority, the agency responsible for the national road network, while maintenance and renewals will be carried out by the Société de la Rocade L2 de Marseille.

The project will be jointly financed by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the
Bouches-du-Rhône Department and the Marseille Provence Métropole Urban Community through the payment of grants during the period of construction. When the L2 East section comes into service, the French Government will pay a royalty which will primarily allow the reimbursement of the financial bond of approximately €165 million invested by the Société de la Rocade L2 de Marseille with the Allianz group; as well as covering the cost of upkeep, maintenance and renewal of the infrastructure.

Yves Gabriel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bouygues Construction, said: “The residents of Marseille and all those who travel through the city each day have been waiting for the L2 bypass for decades. All the contractors in our consortium are proud be taking part in making it a reality. We will make it a benchmark urban expressway and a model for development that will benefit all the residents of greater Marseille.”

About Bouygues Construction

A global player in the building, civil works, energy and services sectors, Bouygues Construction operates at all points of the value chain of projects: finance, design, construction and facilities management (operation and maintenance). On every continent, its 55,400 employees devise and develop solutions that make an improvement to the environment and to everybody’s lives. In 2012, Bouygues Construction generated sales of 10.6 billion euros. 

About CDC Infrastructure

CDC Infrastructure, is a 100% subsidiary of Caisse des dépôts and makes long-term equity investments in infrastructure projects with high impact on local development and low environmental footprint. It invests in mature (“Brownfield”) assets and in new (“Greenfield”) projects financed mainly in the form of public-private partnerships (PPP) or concessions. CDC Infrastructure targets a €1,500m portfolio by 2014 end, focused on 4 sectors: transport, energy, telecoms and the environment. Its participations include GRT Gaz (the main French gas transportation network and subsidiary of GDF Suez), Lisea (the high-speed rail between Tours and Bordeaux), Gassled (the formal owner of the Norwegian gas transport infrastructure), the motorway company Sanef, Eurounnel, Viaduc de Millau and Gaz de Strasbourg. 

About Colas Midi-Méditerranée

Colas Midi-Méditerranée is a road construction subsidiary of the Colas Group, with operations in the south of France and in Corsica.  It does business in 13 French départements via a network that boasts 46 construction branch offices and a number of material production sites (quarries, recycling facilities, emulsion plants, asphalt plants, cement plants, etc.). The 3,100 men and women who work at Colas Midi-Méditerranée perform a wide variety of projects: roads, earthworks, airport runways, automobile racing circuits, industrial facilities, heavy duty flooring, networks and services, civil engineering, and more. 

About Egis

Egis is an international group offering engineering, project structuring and operations services. In engineering and consulting its sectors of activity include transport, urban development, building, industry, water, environment and energy. In roads and airports its offer is enlarged to encompass project development, equity investment, turnkey systems delivery, and operation and maintenance services. Key figures: €900 M turnover in 2012 - 12,000 employees – 100 countries – 50 offices in France. Further information : www.egis.fr

About Meridiam Infrastructure

Meridiam Infrastructure is a long-term independent investment firm founded in 2005. It specializes in the development, financing, and management of public infrastructure projects through their core 25-year duration institutionally-backed funds. With more than 100 investment professionals and asset managers across offices in Paris, New York and Toronto, Meridiam is the leading fund investor in public infrastructures in Europe and North America. With nearly €2.8 billion ($3.5 billion) of assets under its management, the firm has to date invested in 27 projects and received the 2013 Overall Infrastructure Fund of the Year award and the 2012 and 2013 European Infrastructure fund of the Year awards. Meridiam obtained an ISO 9001-certification for its responsible investment process in January 2012. 

About Spie batignolles

Spie batignolles is a major player in construction and civil engineering, and also leads its market in customer relations. The company is owned by its management and employees . With 8.000 employees, the group operates in 5 main sectors : civil engineering and groundwork, public works, buildings contruction, property development and concessions and energy, and carries both local work and large-scale projects. With four of these main business subsidiaries : Spie batignolles TPCI (civil engineering / engineered structures / tunnels), Spie fondations (special foundations / diaphragm walls), Valérian (excavation) et Malet (carriageway, roadways and mains services), Spie batignolles provides all services required by linear infrastructure construction. 
Its 2012 turnover is EUR 2.2 billion.