Finance & Funding

Financing from the US now looks to have been secured for a major road project in Argentina. The US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) intends to provide US$400 million for Argentina’s National Route 7 project. OPIC agreed a package worth $800 million for infrastructure projects in Argentina at the end of 2018. The 700km National Route 7 project will involve building new sections of highway as well as upgrading existing stretches of road.

Major new highway projects are now progressing in Russia, with more detailed plans being drawn up. Two key projects are for the new Black Sea Coast Highway and the M-4 Don Transport Corridor. The Black Sea Coast Highway has seen some changes to the original proposals, with the high cost of the initial design having been a major factor in the revisions to the plans. The length of the new route will be 80.5km under the new proposals, with the work now costing around US$15 billion, some 2/3rds of the original

Funding has been secured for two motorway widening projects in Morocco.

A tunnel has been proposed for a highway stretch in the German city of Frankfurt. The proposals put forward by the city authorities call for a 1km stretch of the A661 Autobahn to run in a cut and cover tunnel. The project would cost around €350 million and would allow housing to be built over the top of the route. A substantial portion of the funding would have to be sourced from the German Federal Government and the Hesse State Government for the project to go ahead however. If the proposals are accepted,

Funding from the African Development Bank will help finance infrastructure development work in Côte d'Ivoire. In all US$483.56 million in financing will be used to improve transport infrastructure between capital Abidjan and the border with Ghana. Roads and urban transport will be improved as part of the programme of works. A new bridge will also be built betwee the Abidjan suburbs of Yopougon and Attécoubé.

Upgrade work will be carried out on a road in Tanzania’s Kigoma Region now that financing has been secured. A loan worth US$257.7 million from The African Development Bank (AfDB) will help finance the work. The 260km road connects Manyovu with Kabingo and the work is expected to take 36 months to complete. The work is important as it will provide better transport to an area of Tanzania that has suffered from poor connectivity in the past.

Work is now starting on the 234km road that will connect the Ethiopian town of Togochale with Berbera Port in neighbouring Somalia. The project is being carried out in three phases and will cost US$400 million in all, with this first 72km section costing some $90 million. The project is of key importance to both countries, as well as for East Africa’s economy as a whole. Landlocked Ethiopia’s economy has been growing healthily in recent years but has been constrained by a lack of access to a port. Meanwhile

A series of road upgrades are planned for Colombia’s Boyaca Department for the 2019-2020 period. One of the projects will be for work to a 20km section of the Transversal de Boyaca Route 60, which connects to the Magdalena Medio. Work will also be carried out on the Crucero-Pajarito stretch of the Transversal del Cusiana Route 62, including several bridge upgrades. Repaving work will be carried out on the Duitama-Presidente stretch of Route 55. Paving work is also planned for tertiary roads. In all 77km of

Calls are being made in Russia for investment into rebuilding small bridges. According to the Saint Petersburg Association of Road Complex Enterprises, ASDOR, around US$1.95 billion is required to upgrade, repair or improve small bridges across the country. ASDOR’s research suggests that on average, one small bridge collapses every day in the country.