FIVE national and international consortia have submitted registrations of interest to build the $1.6 billion Gateway Upgrade, the largest road project in the history of Queensland.

According to Queensland Motorway Limited (QML), which will deliver the project in partnership with the private sector, the consortia to register are:

Leighton /Abigroup ;

Thiess/Baulderstone Hornibrook ;

The Coastlink Consortium comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics of France, McConnell Dowell , MacMahon Contractors and Egis Projects Asia Pacific;

Intermodal Group comprising Technital SpA of Italy and Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering (JTEC) of China; and

Vinci Construction Grands Projets of France.

A shortlist of up to three consortia was be chosen by August and invited to tender for the project by September this year. The final contract will be awarded to the single successful tenderer in August/September 2006.

The successful consortium is expected to start construction on the project in late 2006 with completion by 2011.