Vienna/Kristiansand, 22 February 2017 – The contract was signed at the end of last week and construction work is set to begin as early as March: PORR will build the 654m-long Varodd Bridge in Kristiansand. The construction work will be realised on behalf of Statens vegvesen southern region and should be completed in spring 2020. The tender is worth around NOK 542m (approx. EUR 61m).
"Acquiring the fifth bridge building project is a nice sign of recognition for our team in Norway. At the end of 2015 we realised one of the region’s most spectacular bridge projects with the Tresfjord Bridge and now we have our next exciting challenge with the Varodd Bridge”, said Karl-Heinz Strauss, CEO of PORR AG, on the new tender. “Of course we will continue with our current approach and commit to cooperation with local partners on this project".
"The bids were extremely close together: the difference between the first three bidders was in a range of just 0.73%. But our final decision was not made on price alone. PORR has already impressed us with its professionalism and quality on the current work on the Farris Bridge in Larvik", said Kjell Inge Davik, Regional Head, Statens vegvesen Region Sued.
The scope of services includes the construction of a 654m-long bridge over the Topdalsfjord, to be built between two existing bridge structures. The suspension bridge dating back to 1956 will be removed in the course of the construction works, while the second bridge from 1993 will be overhauled and integrated into the new construction. There will be a total of six lanes, which should optimise traffic for around 50,000 vehicles a day. A footpath and cycle lane is also planned. The project, located on the main road to Kristiansand and the approach path to the airport, requires the utmost in construction logistics.
PORR in Norway
Since acquiring a renowned infrastructure company in 2015, PORR has been represented in Norway with several projects. These include the Tresfjord Bridge, the Harpe Bridge, the Farris Bridge and the Loftenes Bridge. The Tresfjord Bridge was completed in October 2015 and stands out in particular for its exceptional design. The Harpe Bridge is similarly sophisticated and calls for maximum expertise from everyone involved. The construction method applied is the first of its kind in Norway – there are only 70 bridges in the world that employ this technology.
PORR has also been active in tunnelling in Norway since the end of last year: in November it received the tender for the RV 17 Liafjellet tunnel project.
Facts and figures at a glance
| Project type: | Bridge construction |
| Scope of services: | Construction of a bridge with an approx. length of 654m with six lanes including footpath and cycle lane and removal of the old suspension bridge from 1956 |
| Order volume: | NOK 542m (around EUR 61m) |
| Client: | Statens vegvesen southern region |
| Planned completion: | Spring 2020 |
