Since mid-2024, the BRAVO4 consortium has been carrying out works on the R4 ring road in Ghent on behalf of the Flemish Government. BRAVO4 is committing to delivering the upgraded R4 West and R4 East (R4WO) by April 2030 instead of January 2031. That’s 9 months earlier than planned. The R4WO project is crucial to improving access to the Port of Ghent area. With a construction value of approximately €726 million, it is the second-largest infrastructure project currently underway in Flanders. Thanks to strong collaboration within BRAVO4, this vital mobility infrastructure will become a reality sooner than expected. Today, all of the involved parties signed the new financial arrangements that enable the consortium to sustain the increased pace of works on site.
Public-private partnership at the heart of this success
Although BRAVO4 still has several years of construction ahead, the consortium can now commit to completing the project nine months ahead of schedule, based on the progress achieved to date and taking account of anticipated risks. This achievement has been made possible in part by the project's public-private partnership (PPP) structure.
Under this model, the private partner is responsible for design, construction, financing and maintenance. PPPs are an essential element of the Flemish Government's investment strategy. As the private partner, BRAVO4 is directly accountable for both quality and timing, ensuring that this model offers the lowest possible risk for the public sector. Flanders pays for an operational road, not for hours worked. Completing the project sooner therefore means delivering benefits on the ground sooner, without increasing the cost to the Flemish Government.
Shorter delivery time, lower costs
A shorter project duration not only means less disruption and earlier delivery, but also lower costs. The refinancing of the project will generate savings of several million euros for the public authorities.
Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works Annick De Ridder welcomed the news:"Public-private partnerships are no longer the exception in Flemish investment policy; they have become an essential component of it. They give us greater capacity to deliver by combining public leadership with private expertise, while sharing responsibility that extends well beyond the completion date. The strength of effective collaboration and a strong private partner has enabled us to save nine months on this project. That is a tremendous gain for the region, the economy and everyone who lives and works here."
One partner responsible for design, construction, financing and maintenance
The R4WO project is being delivered through a DBFM (Design, Build, Finance and Maintain) contract. This means that the same private partner, BRAVO4, designs, builds, finances and maintains the road for 30 years. BRAVO4 therefore has every incentive to ensure a high-quality design, efficient delivery and the avoidance of delays. Because one party assumes responsibility for virtually the entire project, handovers between contractors are limited and coordination is streamlined.
Alongside the strong cooperation with the public authority, De Werkvennootschap, the excellent collaboration within the consortium itself is a key success factor. Thanks to the combined expertise of the two Belgian construction companies within BRAVO4, and the constructive partnership between them, works are progressing at an accelerated pace. The consortium brings together BESIX Group and family-owned company Stadsbader, both of which have an impressive track record in road and infrastructure projects as well as complex civil engineering works.
"Being able to announce today that the upgraded R4 will be completed nine months ahead of schedule is an achievement of which we at BESIX Group are extremely proud. This project demonstrates the strength of our integrated approach: the expertise of BESIX, BESIX Infra, BESIX Unitec and Franki Foundations on site, combined with the financial know-how and commitment of BESIX Invest within the DBFM framework. Together with our partners in BRAVO4, De Werkvennootschap and all stakeholders involved, we are proving that complex infrastructure projects can be delivered faster through strong collaboration, innovative solutions and a shared long-term vision. R4WO is not only a major mobility investment for Flanders, but also an excellent example of how Belgian expertise can make a real difference," said Mark Beyst, General Manager BESIX Belgium-Luxembourg.
New financial arrangements
In addition to construction expertise, BESIX Group and Stadsbader also contribute capital and financial expertise. The BRAVO4 consortium furthermore includes specialised infrastructure investors EPICo, I4B – The Belgian Infrastructure Fund, and RID PPP (Rebel and Aberdeen). Beyond their financial contribution, these partners provide the expertise required to adapt the financing structure of this DBFM project to the evolving needs of the construction programme. This allows contractors to be paid earlier for work that, under the revised schedule, will also be completed earlier.
The accelerated delivery therefore requires new financial arrangements. Today, De Werkvennootschap, as public client, and the private partners, including the contractors, investors and financial institutions involved, formalised these arrangements in an agreement. As a result, contractors will receive payments sooner, enabling them to sustain the increased pace of works on site.
This approach is inherent to this type of partnership. The Flemish Government only begins payments once the infrastructure has been delivered and is ready for use. Under the new agreement, that moment is brought forward by nine months.
Shorter duration, less disruption
The accelerated schedule will not result in additional traffic disruption. On the contrary, BRAVO4 is maintaining existing traffic capacity as much as possible through carefully planned construction phasing, and this approach remains unchanged. The Zeeschipstraat–Evergemsesteenweg interchange will be the final section to be completed. For users of the R4, the main difference is simple: the disruption will last for a shorter period than originally anticipated.
Final milestones
The final major milestones are also the most complex and extensive elements of the project. On the R4 West, these include the tunnel beneath the Zeeschipstraat–Evergemsesteenweg interchange and the underpass in Rieme. On the R4 East, works focus on the new interchanges at ArcelorMittal and Wachtebeke, as well as the new bridges over the Moervaart.