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Ferrovial-Strabag consortium wins Czech Republic's largest highway PPP

Ferrovial-Strabag consortium wins Czech Republic's largest highway PPP

Built World

Government approved the 28-year, €2.9 billion deal on October 26; parliament must now consent before signing

October 26th, 2026: Government approves D35 concession contract

Overview

Updated Nov 2

The Czech government approved the concession contract for the D35 motorway on October 26, clearing the way for the country's largest highway public-private partnership. The 28-year deal is worth CZK 71.3 billion, about €2.9 billion, and covers 52 km of the corridor between Litomyšl and Mohelnice.

The contract now goes to the Chamber of Deputies, which must consent to the state's financial commitments before it is signed. The ministry says first preparatory works could start this year, with financial close expected in the first quarter of 2027 and construction scheduled to take 70 months from there.

Why it matters

A completed D35 would give drivers a second highway route between Bohemia and Moravia and pull transit traffic out of towns along the I/35.

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Key Indicators

CZK 71.3B
Winning bid
Consortium's offer in Czech koruna, per Budimex regulatory filing.
35.4 km
New motorway
Two new sections between Opatovec and Mohelnice, plus operation of 17 km already being built between Litomyšl and Opatovec.

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People Involved

Ivan Bednárik
Ivan Bednárik
Czech Minister of Transport
Steering the D35 concession through parliamentary approval

Organizations Involved

VI
ViAlliance35
Consortium
Selected concessionaire; contract approved by government, awaiting parliamentary consent

Consortium of Invesis (20%), Strabag (40%), Cintra (30%), and Budimex (10%) selected for the D35 motorway PPP.
Ferrovial
Ferrovial
Global infrastructure company
Parent of Cintra and Budimex, combined 40% consortium stake

Spanish infrastructure group whose highway division Cintra and Polish subsidiary Budimex hold a combined 40% of the consortium.
Strabag
Strabag
Construction firm
40% consortium stake, leads construction joint venture

Austrian construction firm holding 40% of the consortium and leading the construction joint venture with Budimex.
Invesis
Invesis
Financial investor
20% consortium stake

Dutch financial investor holding 20% of the consortium.
Czech Ministry of Transport
Czech Ministry of Transport
Government agency
Government approved the concession contract on October 26; awaiting Chamber of Deputies consent

Czech government ministry that selected ViAlliance35 as preferred bidder for the D35 motorway PPP.

Timeline

July 2026 October 2026

4 events Latest: October 26th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Government approves D35 concession contract

    Latest Decision

    Cabinet accepts the concessionaire agreement with ViAlliance35 at CZK 71.3 billion and sends it to the Chamber of Deputies for consent.

  2. D35 PPP confirmed as Czech Republic's largest transport deal

    Announcement

    Deal publicly reported as the country's largest transport PPP, covering 52 km of the D35 corridor with two twin-tube tunnels.

  3. Czech Ministry selects ViAlliance35 as preferred bidder

    Decision

    Ministry of Transport picks the consortium for the 28-year, €2.9 billion D35 concession, pending government and parliament approval.

  4. ViAlliance35 submits tender for D35 PPP

    Procurement

    Consortium of Invesis, Strabag, Cintra, and Budimex submits its bid in the competitive dialogue for the D35 motorway.

Scenarios

1

D35 concession signed, construction begins by 2027

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Strabag, Budimex, Czech Ministry of Transport

The concession agreement needs consent from the Czech government and Chamber of Deputies. Once approved, financial close is expected in Q1 2027, with preparatory works starting immediately after signing. Strabag says construction is planned to start by the end of 2026.

2

Parliament delays or blocks the D35 concession

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: ceskainfrastruktura.cz

The concession agreement requires approval from the Chamber of Deputies. Political opposition or procedural delays could push signing into late 2027 or beyond, mirroring delays seen in other Czech infrastructure projects.

3

Financial close slips past Q1 2027

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: ceskainfrastruktura.cz

Financing agreements are expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, making the concession effective. Market conditions or consortium internal issues could delay this, pushing the effective date and construction start later.

4

Chamber of Deputies approves the concession in 2026

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Czech Ministry of Transport

The ministry expects the contract to go through parliamentary committees and then a plenary vote. Approval would let the state sign, allow immediate preparatory works, and keep financial close on track for the first quarter of 2027.

Historical Context

One moment from history that rhymes with this story — and how it unfolded.

Ongoing

D4 PPP (Czech Republic's earlier highway PPP)

The D4 was an earlier Czech highway public-private partnership using the same design-build-finance-operate-maintain model now applied to the D35. The D35 project explicitly builds on this precedent, with one key difference: preparatory works can begin immediately upon contract signing, whereas the D4 required a longer lead time.

Then

The D4 established the PPP framework for Czech highway construction, with the state paying availability fees only after sections open.

Now

It created the template the D35 now follows, testing whether the PPP approach can scale to the country's biggest transport project.

Why this matters now

The D35 is the second and much larger application of the D4 model, with the Ministry of Transport noting the streamlined preparatory works process as a direct improvement.

Sources

(17)
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Global Construction Review Budimex S.A. STRABAG Newsroom Invesis Infrastructure Finance & Investment Cinco Días Asociace pro rozvoj infrastruktury Metro.cz STRABAG Česko Empresa Exterior Dopravní noviny Domácí Politika iROZHLAS Report.at Branschaktuellt ČeskéNoviny.cz Dopravní noviny