UK firms go for Oresund

Four major UK contractors have prequalified for work on the œ2 billion Oresund fixed link between Sweden and Denmark. 14 consortia have been selected from among the original 23 applications.

A consortium including Trafalgar House and Balfour Beatty and another which includes John Laing are on the shortlist for three of the four main design and construct contracts.

The first is the 1,500-2,000m high elevated bridge contract across Flinterenden, which includes a cable stayed section with a span of 500m and a minimum of 55m clearance - five consortia are on the list. The second is the 5,000-6,000m approach bridges adjoining the elevated bridge from the Swedish coast and from the easternmost artificial island south of Saltholm. Six consortia have prequalified.

The third contract is the design and construction of the 3,000m-long immersed tube tunnel under the Drogden Channel.

A consortium headed by Tarmac Construction is also on this shortlist, along with the Trafalgar House/Balfour Beatty consortium, the Laing group, and three other international consortia. There are no UK contractors among the six consortia who have prequalified for the dredging and reclamation contract.

Tender documents for the dredging works and tunnel contract are expected to go out in early autumn, with the documents for the bridge contracts out before the end of the year. The finalists will be asked to tender around the start of 1995 with construction work expected to start in mid-1995.