M6toll, Midland Expressway Limited – Media Briefing Day

18 November 2003

Today in the United Kingdom Tom Fanning, Managing Director of Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), will confirm that the M6toll is on schedule to open to traffic within 10 weeks. Macquarie Infrastructure Group (MIG) owns 75% of MEL^1.

MEL is the owner of the concession to develop, own and operate the M6toll.

UK National and local media have been invited to attend a briefing and tour of the road, toll booths and the administration building.  Specifically, media will be briefed on the following:

1. Details of the phased opening of the road
2. Explanation of Special Roads Notice – London Gazette
3. Minor modification to toll categories (length classification to follow).

MIG provides the following information for investors below.

PHASED OPENING DETAILS

There will be a phased opening for the M6toll. The phased opening will happen over a 4 to 5 day period.  This plan was developed by MEL after extensive liaison with the Highway’s Agency, Department for Transport and Central Motorway Police Group to ensure motorists are introduced to Britain’s first tolled motorway as safely as possible. 

The first phase of the countdown to opening will start about five days before the road is fully open to traffic. During this first stage the road will be primarily available to local traffic from Lichfield, Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield, Brownhills and Cannock:

• Drivers will be able to join the M6toll from most entry points along the road, exceptthe M6 (North and South) and the M42. Junction T8 (just off Junction 11 on the M6) will also be closed
• Drivers will be able to leave the road at every exit.

The second phase of the countdown to opening occurs the day before the road is fully open and provides additional access for northbound traffic from the M6:

• Northbound motorists will now also be able to join the M6 Toll from Junction 9 on the M42 and from Junction 4 on the existing M6. Drivers will still notbe able to access the road from Junction 11A travelling south on the M6, nor from Junction T8.
• As before, vehicles will be able to leave the road at every exit.

The final phase is the day the road is fully open which is about five days from the commencement of the first phase:

• The opening of the final main junction with the M6 from the north will allow southbound drivers to join the M6toll from the M6. At this point vehicles can enter and exit the M6 Toll from the M6, M42 and all intermediate junctions, and the M6 Toll will be fully integrated into the UK’s national motorway network for the first time. 

See Attachment One for maps detailing opening phases.  Entry points are indicated by arrows and operating junctions are indicated by circles on each map.

SPECIAL ROADS NOTICE

A Special Roads Notice will be published on 20^th November by the UK Highways Agency on behalf of the Department of Transport in the London Gazette.  This notice puts into place all the relevant regulations that may apply to the named road.

The Special Roads Notice is an administrative and legal process that must be undertaken in advance of a road being opened to the public.

The lodging of this notice requires the inclusion of a date from when the regulations come into effect.  In the case of the M6toll the Notice will state that 28 November 2003 will be the date on which the road is opened. 

MIG states that 28 November 2003 is named only as the potential operation date for the commencement of the first phase, M6toll will not open prior to the 28 November 2003.

MIG will provide advice to investors of the commencement of the phased opening and the official opening date via an ASX release when all details are finalised.

MINOR MODIFICATION TO TOLL CATEGORIES

There is a minor modification to the toll categories for the M6toll.  The modification will have a negligible net impact on the economics of the road. 

Classification of vehicles will initially be measured by the number of axles and the height over the first axle.  Measurement based on an additional third criterian, namely vehicle length, will be phased in after 6 months.

Bianca Francis
Investor Relations Manager
Mobile: (61) 413 279 523
Email: bianca.francis@macquarie.com

Media Enquiries
Jane Rotsey
Public Affairs Manager
Mobile: (61) 401 997 160
Email: jane.rotsey@macquarie.com

ATTACHMENT ONE: PHASED OPENING MAPS