Vinci Autoroutes wins the A45 toll motorway contract in France

French company 6531 Vinci Autoroutes has been awarded a contract for the construction and operation of the A45 toll motorway linking Lyon to Saint-Etienne.

The 50km four-lane project will need €1.2 billion of investment but have an €845 million subsidy. Opening is expected in 2022 and the concession is for 55 years.

The A45 highway project will link Loire and Rhone counties in France’s southeastern Rhone-Alpes region.

The route is likely to include four tunnels — at Bruyères for 1.1km, at Lavoué for 600m then Crêt-Até for 1.4km and at Mouille, 600m. Tunneling costs in the foothill of the Alps and dozens of viaducts could be around half of the highway’s overall budget, according to French media reports.