Finance & Funding

Bolivia highway project awarded to Chinese firm

June 8, 2018

A Chinese contractor, Sinohydro, is now commencing a major highway project in Bolivia.

Kosovo: EIB approves loan for Pec-to-Kijevo route

June 8, 2018

The European Investment Bank has agreed an €80 million loan to Kosovo for construction of a road between the villages of Pec and Kijevo. The road is part of the 6B Route that connects the Kosovo capital Pristina with neighbouring Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic. Project details have not been mentioned. In November, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said it, too, would provide a loan, this time of €71 million loan, for construction of the 30km section. The loans are part of the

Turkish highways and bridge project financing secured

June 7, 2018

The financing package that will pay for Turkey’s €2.43 billion Malkara to Çanakkale highway and 1915 Çanakkale Bridge has now been secured. This follows on from Mott MacDonald completing its technical due diligence of the project documentation. The project will be handled under the PPP model. The centrepiece of the project is the €1.68 billion Çanakkale 1915 bridge. This will be over 4.6km long, with a 2,023m main span that will be the longest in the world for a suspension bridge. It will allow a clearance

SDLG and Alibaba form partnership

June 6, 2018

SDLG and Alibaba have formed partnership intended to improve intelligent manufacturing in China. SDLG says it will use Alibaba’s business intelligence expertise to modernise production, increasing efficiency and flexibility in the process. The partnership is aimed at developing the manufacturing techniques at SDLG’s assembly plants at Linyi in China. By partnering with Alibaba, the company hopes to use such innovations as artificial intelligence, machine-to-machine communication and intelligent devices to

Slovakia highway building programme in focus

June 5, 2018

The Slovakian Government is intending to focus on accelerating the country’s highway construction programme. Regular updates on progress are intended help ensure the programme remains on schedule. Slovakia’s budget involves €11-12 billion in financing, with a significant portion being used for infrastructure development. The new highway links will improve transport connections between the country’s major towns and cities, as well as addressing existing traffic congestion at certain points of the current net

Kazakhstan contract awarded to consortium

June 5, 2018

A consortium will handle the contract to build a new beltway project for Kazakhstan’s capital, Almaty. The US$730 million project will be carried out by the consortium, which comprises the South Korean firms SK Engineering & Construction (SK E&C) and Korea Expressway and the Turkish contractors Makyol Group and Alarko Holding. The contract has been awarded under the build-operate-transfer model as a 20-year deal.

Montreal to expand bus rapid transit on Pie-IX Boulevard

June 5, 2018

The Canadian province of Quebec tendered this month for expansion of the Pie-IX Boulevard bus rapid transit system between the cities of Laval and Montreal. The provincial government will contribute US$304 million out of which around $23 million will be for 28 new buses, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Construction of the 11km stretch could start by October with completion in 2022. Pie-IX Boulevard, named after Pius IX, a Catholic pope, is a major thoroughfare on the island of M

Russian road financing

June 4, 2018

Russia is establishing a new transport infrastructure fund. This is being set up jointly by the Ministry of Finances (MoF) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MeD). The fund is intended to top 3% of Russia’s GDP and should be in place within a six year period. The fund will target PPP projects in the transport sector, with financing being generated through selling bonds.

Nepal bridge building receiving funding

June 4, 2018

Financing from the World Bank will help pay for bridge building work in Nepal. The road from Muglin to Narayanghat is being widened currently, which will see the route featuring a lane in either direction, rather than the single lane that carries all traffic at present. This will boost its capacity and reduce delays to drivers on the route, which carries around 20,000 vehicles/day. Improving the 36km, north-south route however requires the construction of 18 new bridges. Much of the route is already surface

Seattle’s Alaskan Way tolls to be kept to a minimum

June 4, 2018

Drivers could pay as little as US$1 to use Seattle’s 2.7km Alaskan Way tunnel when it opens, likely by the end of the year. The Washington State Department of Transportation, owner of the tunnel, are considering several rates depending on time of day and day of week, according to local media. The DoT said funding for the $3.2 billion viaduct replacement programme comes from state, federal and local sources as well as the Port of Seattle and tolls on drivers using the tunnel. The money will fund tunnel