22 March 2014, Agentschap Wegen enVerkeer (AWV – the Flemish Roads and Traffic Agency) started  construction of an important link in the West-Flemish traffic network: the A11. This new, 12 km long motorway is the missing link between two important roads: the N31 in Bruges and the N49 in Westkapelle.

In building this ‘missing link’, the Flemish government aims to improve the mobility around the polder and port district. The A11 makes possible the separation of commercial and passenger traffic. A new, safe local road and bicycle infrastructure was also foreseen. The new motorway also provides extra opportunities for development of the port activities and regional tourism. It is important to know that the new motorway was constructed with respect for people and environment.

The work comprises numerous constructions, distributed across 18 zones. Completion was planned within 42 months, for the autumn of 2017.

To eliminate a number of ‘missing links’ in the Flemish road network, various projects were executed via a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In a PPP project, the government works with a private partner and concludes a DBFM agreement (Design, Build, Finance & Maintain). This means that a private, special purpose company handles the design, construction, financing and 30-year maintenance of the A11. In exchange, the government pays an annual fee depending on the work done.

The contractor is the private special purpose company ‘Via A11’.

Shareholders are:

• Private parties DG Infra+, Inframan, companies Jan De Nul, general contractors Van Laere, Aswebo, Aclagro and Franki Construct 
• Via-Invest, a cooperative venture between AWV and Flemish investment company PMV.