Algeria East-West Highway Development (COJAAL) 

• $5 billion project
• JV of five of Japan’s largest companies
• 2,000 globally-dispersed project members 
• Neutral, equal information access
• Complete audit trail

Supporting delivery of the world's largest highway project

Client

COJAAL is a joint venture comprising five of Japan’s largest companies: Kajima and Taisei, Japan’s two largest contractors; general contractors Hazama and Nishimatsu; and trading house Itochu.

Project

Algeria’s $11.2 billion East-West Highway development is the world’s largest current highway construction project. Financed by the Algerian Government, it will extend 1,216km and ensure the link between Annaba in the north-east and Tlemcen in the north-west – passing directly through 24 provinces and linking Algeria to Tunisia and Morocco. The highway is a landmark infrastructure investment for Algeria that will meet transport needs, improve road safety and help create a profitable new socio-economic region capable of attracting investments.

The largest project is the $5 billion Eastern section of the Highway, a 399km, six-lane motorway that includes 190 bridges and viaducts and five tunnels. This section is being delivered by COJAAL.

Challenges

Construction of the Eastern section of the Highway requires a large volume of information to be exchanged between around 2,000 project members, including COJAAL’s member-companies’ head offices, situated across Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America. With so many parties geographically dispersed, the project couldn’t afford to wait for hard copy files to be sent between team members. 

Solution

COJAAL selected to use the Aconex online collaboration platform to manage information and link dispersed parties. Team members can select to use the system in English, Japanese or French, according to their language preference.

More than 50 representatives from the five joint venture parties unanimously selected Aconex ahead of other providers.

Results

Supporting on time, within budget delivery

Mr. Minoru Ishida, Project Director at Kajima Corporation, said, “Aconex has enabled the five joint venture parties to manage and share information in real time. This will help us to deliver this significant project to the Government of Algeria on time and within budget.

Limitations of traditional tools

“Using traditional methods of communication, such as paper documents and couriers would have been inefficient and expensive on a project of this scale – particularly when collaborating with international teams,” said Mr. Ishida. “Through managing information electronically using Aconex, the cost of controlling and distributing documentation is reduced, and productivity is increased by team members having instant access to information.”

“The ideal solution for this large-scale joint venture development.”

Mr. Minoru Ishida, Project Director at Kajima Corporation

Equal information access

Mr. Ishida said, “Aconex will maintain a complete, third-party archive of all documentation throughout the project lifecycle, which makes it the ideal solution for this large-scale joint venture development where equal access to information is required.”

Complete audit trail

 “Because the system creates an audit trail which tracks all documents and correspondence, Aconex will reduce our exposure to risks such as information loss, disputes over variations, and defects caused by outdated documents,” said Mr. Ishida.

Expert advice

Mr. Ishida added, “A primary reason for Aconex being selected for the Algeria Highway development is the company’s ability to provide expert advice in good practice information management and on-the-ground training and support to all project participants, regardless of where they are in the world.”