Via Nova Petitions Court Over Highway 6 Tender After Losing to Shapir
The Via Nova consortium has petitioned the court against the Highway 6 northern extension tender, challenging Shapir's victory over a 683 million shekel fee gap.
Via Nova, the consortium that lost the tender to build the new northern section of Highway 6, has filed a petition against the inter-ministerial tender committee and Shapir Engineering's victory in the project. The group—comprising Minrav, Milgam, and international firm Egis—is demanding the cancellation of the tender results, to be declared the winner, and an interim injunction to block contract signing with Shapir until a ruling is reached.
At the heart of the dispute lies a gap of hundreds of millions of shkels between the financial offers of the two groups. According to the petition, Via Nova offered to pay the state concession fees of 2 billion shekels, compared to 1.3 billion shekels in Shapir's bid—a difference of 683.3 million shekels in favor of the state. Despite this, the tender committee selected Shapir's bid after awarding Via Nova low scores on components concerning revenue forecasts and the stability of its financial model.
Revenue Forecasts and Model Stability
Via Nova argues that the committee's decision was based on flawed assessments of its revenue projections. The consortium claims its revenue forecast stood at 20.9 billion shekels, compared to the state's estimate of approximately 12 billion shekels. The tender committee reduced Via Nova's forecast to 13.8 billion shekels—a figure 15% higher than the state's estimate, but significantly lower than the group's submission.
"The committee relied on an advisor and a model that were not adequately presented, denying us a fair opportunity to address the allegations," Via Nova stated in its legal filing.
The petition also raises allegations of compromised equality among bidders, citing an alleged information advantage held by Shapir, which already operates other sections of Highway 6.
Project Scope and Potential Delays
The Highway 6 northern extension project involves paving approximately 22 kilometers from the Somch Interchange to Beit HaEmek and constructing three new interchanges. Shapir was chosen as the project franchisee last July under a 34-year BOT tender encompassing financing, planning, construction, operation, and maintenance. The project's scope is estimated at 2 billion shekels, with construction slated to begin in 2027.
