Via Nova Appeals Disqualification from 2 Billion NIS Highway 6 North Tender
The Via Nova consortium is appealing its disqualification from the 2 billion NIS Highway 6 North tender, claiming its bid would yield 750 million NIS more for the state than the winning proposal by Shapir.
The Via Nova consortium, which was disqualified from the Highway 6 North tender, is appealing the decision, claiming its proposal would bring 750 million NIS more into the state treasury than the winning bid. The group alleges that the tender committee made a fundamental error in its traffic and revenue forecasting model.
Via Nova competed in the tender for the financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of sections 8 and 9a of Highway 6 North, a project valued at approximately 2 billion NIS. The consortium has formally requested the tender committee—composed of representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transportation—to freeze the contract signing with the declared winner, Shapir, and to re-evaluate the disqualification.
The Financial Dispute and Traffic Forecasts
Via Nova claims that a dispute over traffic and revenue projections led to the disqualification of its bid. The consortium's proposal included a payment of approximately 2 billion NIS to the state, whereas Shapir offered about 1.3 billion NIS. Via Nova is demanding to be declared the winner or, alternatively, to be granted an additional hearing. It warned that if its demands are rejected, it will petition the Court for Administrative Affairs to annul the committee's decision, which could delay the project, currently scheduled to begin in early 2027.
The consortium—comprising Israeli companies Minrav and Milgam alongside international firm Egis—stated that its traffic forecasts were based on the Ministry of Transportation's 2023 national transportation model. After integrating the state's own planning data for the highway, Via Nova generated significantly higher traffic projections than those used by the tender committee. Consequently, Via Nova anticipated higher revenues over the 34-year franchise period, justifying its willingness to pay the state a higher sum.
Discrepancies in Traffic Projections
According to data presented by Via Nova for the year 2030, the discrepancies across key highway sections are substantial:
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Ivelim-Hilazon Section: The tender committee projected 45,500 vehicles per day, compared to 59,700 under the state's national model and 62,000 under Via Nova's model.
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Hilazon-Mehar Section: The tender committee projected 77,000 vehicles, compared to 97,600 under the national model and 105,000 under Via Nova's model.
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Mehar-Beit HaEmek Section: The tender committee projected 53,500 vehicles, compared to 67,500 under the national model and 70,700 under Via Nova's model.
Via Nova argues that these discrepancies led the committee to disqualify its bid by deducting 25 points for the reasonableness of model assumptions and nearly all points for model stability. The consortium contends that the tender documents specified a maximum deduction of four points for forecasting gaps, making the additional deductions an unauthorized "double sanction."
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transportation stated that a formal response would be delivered through the official tender committee channels.
