Client
Federal Ministry of Transport represented by Die Autobahn des
Location
State of Bavaria, Germany
A8 Motorway
The A8 between Augsburg and Munich is one of Germany's most important transit routes - connecting Bavaria with Austria as part of the Trans-European Transport Network. Originally built over 80 years ago and one of the oldest autobahn routes in Germany, the motorway needed widening to improve safety and capacity on one of the country's busiest corridors.
Financial Close
April 2007
Construction Period
2007 - 2010
Concession Period
30 years
Handback
2037
Client
Federal Ministry of Transport represented by Die Autobahn des
Location
State of Bavaria, Germany
Sponsor/Investor
Invesis, MID INFRA SAS, Berger Bau SE
Consortium
Autobahnplus A8 GmbH
Engineering Procurement and Construction
Berger Bau GmbH, Fluor GmbH, Trapp Infra Wesel GmbH, Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG
Operations and Maintenance
Berger Bau-GmbH, Egis Road Operation S.A, Invesis
Capital Value
€245m
Leading Germany's first motorway PPP to widen and modernise one of Bavaria's most vital routes
In the mid-2000s, Germany's A8 motorway between Augsburg and Munich had been operating at or beyond its capacity for years. As one of the country's oldest autobahn routes and a key link on the Trans-European Transport Network, widening was urgently needed to improve safety and support growing traffic volumes.
In 2007, the Federal Ministry of Transport selected the Autobahnplus A8 GmbH consortium - comprising Invesis (50%), MID INFRA SAS (44%) and Berger Bau SE (6%) - to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a 37km widening from two to three lanes in each direction. The A8 was Germany's first A-model PPP - the first of four pilots under the federal government's new programme for motorway infrastructure.
Construction completed in December 2010 - three weeks ahead of schedule - with works carried out at night and at weekends to minimise disruption. The project has now been in successful operation for over 15 years, with a milestone anniversary celebrated with government stakeholders and partners in 2022.
Leveraging 15 years of operational knowledge to continuously improve safety and performance on the A8
With operations commencing from day one alongside construction, the A8 consortium has built an unbroken track record of operational delivery stretching back to 2007. A comprehensive Heavy Maintenance Strategy, developed in 2022, documents the technical and financial lifecycle assumptions for each major asset class - providing a clear roadmap for maintaining the motorway's condition through to handback in 2037.
In 2024, VR-based traffic safety training was introduced for road agents, and an innovative automated device for laying warning thresholds at roadworks was trialled - improving safety for maintenance crews working on live motorways. A modified daily route inspection system, implemented following a safety review, has delivered improved outcomes for patrol staff on one of Germany's busiest roads.
Driving environmental and energy benefits across everyday operations on one of Bavaria's busiest motorways
- A 23kWp PV system on the O&M centre generates 14,000 kWh of electricity per year, delivering over 26% energy autarky and saving approximately 10 tonnes of CO2 annually.
- LED lighting is installed throughout all facilities, and the operations fleet includes two electric vehicles and a hybrid car, supported by six charging points.
- Environmental considerations sit alongside price in all procurement decisions - including regional sourcing of road salt to minimise transport-related carbon emissions.
- Green waste collected along the route is processed into wood chips used as fuel, and used tyres are repurposed into floor coverings, reducing landfill and waste.
- Grazing animals manage vegetation along the motorway instead of mechanical mowing, reducing fuel use and supporting local biodiversity.
- Porous asphalt and noise barriers protect communities along the route, and apprenticeships through the O&M contractor are building skills for future highway maintenance roles.
