Finance & Funding

The reconstruction work for an important bridge link in Côte d'Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan, will be carried out by two French contractors. Eiffage and Spie Batignolles are to rebuild Abidjan’s Félix Houphouët-Boigny Bridge. Funding for the work is being provided by the French Development Agency (AFD). The project has a contract value of US$62.73 million and the work is expected to take 30 months to complete.

Italian state-controlled road concessionary ANAS has approved seven projects worth nearly €1.4 billion in total. The projects are in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Campania, Puglia and Sardinia. The largest project by value is in Puglia, totaling €244 million for work on the Maglie-Leuca 275 states road. Work in Emilia Romagna, an investment of almost €191 million, involves extension of the northern bypass in Reggio Emilia, between San Prospero Strinati and Corte Tegge.

Engineering services provider Pöyry has been appointed for site supervision work for the rehabilitation of Austria’s A1 and A10 motorways in the region of Salzburg. Asfinag, a customer-financed, commercial operator and builder of motorways and expressways in Austria, awarded the contract. The project includes general renovation of motorway sections and bridge structures, rehabilitation and reinforcement of anchor walls, construction of parking areas, adaptation of noise barriers and construction of

UK exports of construction and earthmoving equipment remained buoyant for the first nine months 2017, showing a 21% increase compared with the same period 2016. Imports of equipment also remained strong, showing a 12% increase in the same period over 2016. In the third quarter 2017, exports equipment showed a further modest increase for the fourth consecutive quarter. Exports in Q3 were 1.3% up on Q2 levels at €807 million (£723 million). This was the highest quarterly level for more than two years

Construction work for a new expressway and tunnel project in Laos will commence in early 2018. The 113.5km route will connect capital Vientane, in the south of the country, with Vangvieng. A 679m tunnel will be constructed at Phoupha Mountain between Naxaithong district and Vangvieng district. The project is costing US$1.2 billion to construct and will be carried out by a China and Laos joint venture.

A Mostostal Warszawa consortium has reportedly made the lowest bids to build three sections of the S19 from Nisko to Sokolow Malopolski in south-eastern Poland. The consortium’s bid was just over €187 million in total. Other bids which were received from a Strabag consortium and a Budimex consortium.

Argentina is setting out a major road development programme. The country has plans for 16 key road projects, with road building and development plans for some 7,000km of routes in all. Called the new Safe Motorway and Road Network, the programme will be worth an impressive US$16.7 billion. The first six of the planned routes will be developed under the PPP model. A portion of the construction work will be paid for through special taxes on fuel.

Papua New Guinea is to benefit from major infrastructure development, which is being funded by Chinese sources.

Funding for the final 8km section of a highway project in the US state of Oklahoma has yet to be finalised. Around US$135 million has been secured but a further $165 million will have to be secured by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for this section of the route. The Gilcrease Expressway will be tolled and the rates are now being set, with higher charges for commercial vehicles. The project will be complex due to the uneven terrain and tricky geology. In all 22 bridges will have to be constructed. This $30