Finance & Funding

Financing has been secured for key road reconstruction projects in Cambodia. Work is being carried out on six road projects in the country that measure a total of 600km, as well as a bridge, with this all costing some US$490 million. A loan of $94 million will help pay for the rebuilding of Cambodia’s National Road No 11 as well as a stretch of bypass. In all 96.5km of road will be rebuilt for this project, with the work intended to improve transport connections between Thbong Khmum Province and Prey Veng P

A new bridge project will improve transport connections between China and Myanmar. The bridge will be located in Myanmar’s Shan area, bordering with China’s Yunnan Province. This will replace the existing bridge at Kunlong. The new bridge will measure 4.2km in length, spanning the Thanlwin River. This will form part of the route running through Theinni, Kunlong and Chinshwehaw and the project includes building 4km of connecting roads.

Financing now looks set to be secured for a major bridge project for Uganda. A loan is being supplied by various European and Japanese banks will help pay for the new River Nile Bridge. In all the bridge project is costing US$125.7 million. The 525m-long by 23m-wide link is needed to replace the ageing xxx structure. After the new bridge opens to traffic, the old bridge will be decommissioned.

A finance package has been secured to help pay for the building of Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project. Worth US$2.4 billion, the financing comes in the shape of a loan and is being provided by the Central Bank of Turkmenistan. The finance package is being provided to the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan under a 20-year loan deal that includes a grace period of five years. The new Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project will help to improve transport efficiency in

Qatar is planning a major programme of transport infrastructure development. Worth nearly US$6 billion, the plans will see just over half of the budget ($3.04 billion) being targeted at expressway construction. Meanwhile a further $2.5 billion will be used to improve Qatar’s network of trunk roads and minor roads, as well as to construct new connections. The remaining portion of the budget will include paying for new minor bridge works, underpasses and overpasses.

Turkey’s programme of bridge and highway building looks set to continue with a funding package for the 1915 Canakkale Bridge and Highway project being found. The bridge will span the Dardanelles Straits and the funding package is worth US$2.83 billion. The financing will come in the shape of a loan has been secured by a group of 24 banks and institutions from 10 countries in all. The loan calls for a 15 year repayment period. The bridge will be a constructed by a consortium, Canakkale Otoyol.

Plans are being drawn up for the Bulan Bridge project for Indonesia. This 5.6km long bridge is expected to cost US$871 million to construct. Funding worth $31.6 million is being provided by the Chinese Government to help kickstart the project. Construction will be carried out by China Road and Bridge, which has signed agreements with the local authorities in Indonesia for the project. The work will also include building road links to the bridge. The structure will connect Kalimantan and Tarakan.

A major new tolled expressway project is now being planned in the Philippines. The proposed NLEx-Cavitex Port Expressway Link will provide a connection between the North Luzon Expressway and Manila-Cavite Expressway. The project to build the link is expected to cost US$1.73 billion, with work being carried out in three stages of 5.7km, 4.8km and 4.6km. One of the most expensive stretches will include a tunnel section. The project is being planned by the Metro Pacific group.

European construction sales grew by 15% in 2017, according to the Annual Economic Report 2018* from the CECE - Committee for European Construction Equipment. After a very strong first quarter, growth slowed down in the second quarter, before taking off again in Q3 and Q4. Current levels of sales are on par with the levels seen in 2006 and 2008, but the industry is still 20% below the 2007 peak.