SWEDEN —Peab has been commissioned by the Swedish Transport Administration to construct the E22 Söderköping Bypass under a SEK 2.2 billion contract. The project will introduce Sweden's first alliance-based contracting arrangement in the civil engineering industry, involving Peab, the transport authority and engineering consultant ELU Konsult AB in a jointly managed delivery organization.
The infrastructure development covers a road section of slightly more than 10 kilometres southwest of Söderköping. Its scope includes four interchanges, twelve bridges and a new aqueduct beneath the Göta Canal. The aqueduct will allow road vehicles to pass below the canal without being affected by bridge openings, while maintaining uninterrupted navigation along the waterway. The bypass will also incorporate a central safety barrier to separate opposing traffic flows.
The alliance structure represents a different approach to delivering major transport infrastructure in Sweden. Instead of relying solely on conventional contractual divisions between the client and suppliers, the participating organizations will share responsibility through a joint project organization. Their cooperation will extend from engineering design and planning through construction and final delivery, with an emphasis on coordinated decision-making, cost management and production transparency.
The arrangement is particularly relevant to complex civil engineering projects involving multiple structures, technical interfaces and construction constraints. Integrating the transport authority, construction contractor and engineering consultant from the earlier project stages could help address design changes, execution risks and coordination challenges before they affect construction progress. The model also provides an opportunity to assess whether collaborative procurement can improve cost predictability and infrastructure delivery efficiency.
The development will affect Sweden's road construction and engineering sectors, particularly contractors and consultants involved in large-scale transport infrastructure. The project also has regional significance for Söderköping and surrounding areas, where the bypass is intended to redirect through traffic away from the existing route and improve road safety and traffic movement.
Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2026, with completion and the planned opening to traffic in summer 2030. Peab expects to register the contract in its Civil Engineering business area during the fourth quarter of 2026. Peab is a Swedish construction and civil engineering group operating across the Nordic region, while the Swedish Transport Administration is the government authority responsible for national road and railway infrastructure. ELU Konsult provides engineering consultancy services.
For the Swedish infrastructure market, the contract will serve as an early practical test of the alliance procurement model in civil engineering. Its implementation and commercial outcomes could provide a reference for future public infrastructure projects considering shared-risk arrangements and closer integration between public authorities and private-sector delivery partners.
