WSP has acted for all three stages of the WestConnex main line tunnels over the past seven years as the Financiers’ Certifier for dual clients of a consortia of Lenders, and the borrower/owner, Transurban.
Andy Noble, Technical Director, Hydropower & Tunnels, explains our history on the WestConnex financier roles:
“For the past seven years WSP has had continuous involvement on Sydney’s WestConnex motorway road tunnels, in our roles as Financiers’ Certifier or Payment Certifier for each of the three main line tunnel projects. The role required monthly site visits to the projects during the construction period and the submission of a Progress Certificate each month to enable the loan drawdowns to occur.”
We originally started with the M8 role in 2016 for a consortium of 20 Australian and international lenders and the M8 opened fully in July 2020. In 2017 we started working on the M4 which opened fully in July 2019. Our core project team members are Andy; Geoff Rayner, Major Projects Executive and our Financiers’ Certifier’s Project Director; Peter Letts, Major Projects Executive; Doug Graham, National Executive – Tunnel & Tunnel Systems; and Karen Wilson, Commercial Contracts Director.
Andy says “The early opening of the WestConnex M4-M8 Link Tunnels is an outstanding achievement, particularly given the many challenges arising from the COVID pandemic, including a government directed construction pause.”
Last week our Financiers’ Certifier team visited the M4-M8 Link Tunnels for our final monthly Financiers’ Certifier’s site tour
Geoff gave feedback to the Lenders last week stating “No tunnelling project is simple. The M4-M8 Link will deliver some of the largest and most sophisticated works built in this country, with the added complexity of being operationally integrated with the adjacent sections of the WestConnex road network, M4 and M8. It is a high-quality engineering feat.”
“To get to this point has required dedication, technical and commercial expertise, high-level project management skills, collaboration and determination. It has needed the day-to-day focus and competence of many people. The project parties are entitled to feel a great level of pride in what they have been able to achieve. Whilst Sydney motorists will no doubt be impressed by the new link tunnel, they will have little understanding of the sheer complexity of the financing, design, procurement, construction, and integration of software and hardware that will provide them with a safe and efficient travel experience.”
WSP has also been engaged to deliver two separate packages of project works – A Design Joint Venture Civil/Structures Design, and the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing on the WestConnex M4-M5 Link Rozelle Interchange.
Pictured: Three regular attendees to the monthly site visits (L-R Peter Letts, Andy Noble and Geoff Rayner) in one of the widest cavern zones where there are five traffic lanes.
