Finance & Funding

Guatemala is planning to build a new bridge that will cost an estimated US$150 million. The plans call for the new Belice Bridge to be constructed alongside the existing structure. A portion of the funding would be provided in the form of a loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). A design study could be carried out towards the end of 2018. Repairs are required to the existing BeliCe Bridge however and little interest has been received so far in the tender process for this work.

Poland will have to spend around €7.12 billion to complete its section of the trans-European Via Carpathia. Work on the north-south transport corridor could be completed by 2025, the government said during a recent European Economic Congress held in the Polish city of Katowice. The route is planned to run nearly 1,600km from the Lithuanian Baltic Sea port city of Klaipeda to the Greek city of Thessaloniki on the Aegean Sea. It passes through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. It will cross cor

A major highway project in Cameroon faces funding issues as China has suspended its financing for the Yaoundé - Douala link. The highway has an estimated cost of US$473.3 million and the project includes a 68km link between the country’s capital and its second city, as well as an additional 23km of link roads. The link is being built by China First Highway Engineering (Cfhec) with funding by Eximbank. However a disagreement between Cameroon and the Chinese has resulted in the funding being halted for a peri

Financing worth €100 million has been secured for a major highway project in Bosnia. The finance package comes in the shape of a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). This will help pay for work on the 6km Tunel Kvanj-Buna highway. With financing in place, final discussions will be carried out and then construction will be able to commence shortly.

UK exports of construction and earthmoving equipment showed further growth in the first quarter this year, the highest level since Q2 2015. Sales topped nearly €812 million, according to the latest report from the UK’s Construction Equipment Association. Continued healthy export sales “can be attributed to both improving demand in some of the major overseas markets, as well as the benefit of the weaker £ exchange rate since the middle of 2016, following the Brexit referendum”, report the noted. In terms of

A new highway project in Laos will see the rebuilding of a 165km section of highway. The project is expected to cost US$165 million to carry out. The work will be carried out by a consortium, headed by the Singapore subsidiary of Indian firm Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Service Transportation's (IL&FS). The project will include the construction of 33 bridges in all. The Laos Government will pay a 60% chunk of the project costs during the 42 months it is expected to take to finish the building of the l

Chile’s highway development programme is crucial to the country’s future economic growth. That is the finding of a study by the OECD. According to the report, a 27% increase in highway development is required around Chile’s around cities and ports by 2030. This is because Chile's economy relies heavily on exports. However, a possible hold-up could come from delays facing key highway projects at present. In particular, delays due to environmental assessments are holding back progress with three transport lin

A Chinese contractor looks likely to be building sections of the Corridor 11 highway in Serbia. This follows successful discussions between Serbia and China. These relate to the sections of Corridor 11 from Preljina to Pozega and from Pozega to Boljare that lead towards the border with neighbouring Montenegro. Meanwhile discussions are also being held between Serbia and China with regard to the Ruma to Novi Sad highway, which is also known as the Fruskogorski Koridor. The works are expected to be worth €400

Kazakhstan has increased the budget used for upgrading highways and building new links in a bid to improve the country’s transport network. The Kazakhstan Government boosted the investment in the highway system for 2016 by 35% over the previous year, reaching close to US$852 million. The country’s road development programme saw 3,200km of routes being rebuilt and improved. Due to the heavy investment in road maintenance and upgrades the percentage of links rates as being in good condition rose from 44% to 4

Design work has been completed for a key stretch of the highway that will provide a new link between Kenya and Tanzania. The plans for the 210km section in Kenya between Malindi in Kilifi County and Lunga Lunga in Kwale County have been completed. This stretch will form part of the Lamu-Dar es Salaam highway from Kenya to Tanzania. The Kenyan Government is now sourcing funding for the project and hopes to obtain the necessary financing packages from the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The proj