Finance & Funding

Plans are being drawn up in Laos for the new highway connecting its capital Vientiane with Hanoi, the capital of neighbouring Vietnam. The project is expected to cost in excess of US$4.5 billion, with much of the Laos section of the route running parallel to the existing Road N0 13 South.

An upgrade to the road link connecting Afghanistan with Pakistan is being proposed.

In Rwanda, a US$66 million deal has been signed for construction work on a road running from Base and through Butaro to Kidaho. The 63km stretch road is intended to improve transport connections in the north of the country. The work on this road will boost the country’s connections with neighbouring Uganda, helping develop trade and transport between the two nations.

A Salini Impregilo consortium has been shortlisted to design and build the Rozelle Interchange and Iron Cove Link as part of Sydney’s WestConnex project. WestConnex, the biggest road development in Australia, is likely to cost around US$12.6 billion. At an estimated value of about $2.65 billion, the Rozelle Interchange and Iron Cove Link was commissioned by the New South Wales state government. It will include an underground motorway interchange to City West Link and underground bypass of Victoria Roa

In Uganda bidding is now underway for the new expressway project to improve transport between capital Kampala and the industrial city of Jinja. The project for the 95km section of road is expected to cost US$1 billion to construct. The contract is being offered under the design, finance, build and operate model, with the route then being handed back to the Ugandan Government once the agreed concession period is complete. Some of the financing will be provided by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), French De

A loan from the Export-Import Bank of China (Exim Bank of China) will help pay for the rebuilding of an important road section in Nigeria. Approval for the funding package was given by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council, headed by the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari. The funding will go towards phase II of the works to rebuild the road connecting capital Abuja with the city of Makurdi. The work will rebuild the A234 highway from Abuja to Akwanga, as well as the A3 highway running from Akwanga to Maku

An important highway stretch in Kazakhstan will now be upgraded thanks to funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The US$490 million finance package comes in the shape of a loan and will be used to improve the highway connecting capital Almaty with Khorgos, which lies on the border with China. The 297km highway section will cost $576.5 million to upgrade in all.

Aecom is to deliver technical advice for design work and maintenance supervision for 60km of highway surrounding Belfast, Northern Ireland. Aecom was chosen by Highway Management (City) which since 2006 has been working on a 30-year design, build, finance and operation contract for the highways, known as DBFO1 network. DBFO1 covers 60km of the highways surrounding Belfast, including the M1, M2, M3, M5, M22, A8(M) and A12 corridors.

Foreign financing looks likely for much of Colombia’s 4G road programme. Colombia's national infrastructure agency, ANI, has said that there are 13 funding sources from outside of the country that are keen to provide financing for the 4G road development plan. Those showing an interest include pension funds and capital funds. Chinese and Middle Eastern financing for Colombian road development is also a possibility. The list of financing sources already involved in Colombia’s 4G programme includes JP Morgan