Finance & Funding

The Canadian Atlantic province of Prince Edward Island will invest around US$170 million over four years to improve roads, including resurfacing 270km of highways. Projects will include the replacement of 18 bridges, according to a statement from Infrastructure Canada, a federal agency through which the central government will funnel $83.5 million towards the work. The province will provide $86.5 million, noted the agency. PEI is one of the three maritime provinces and is the smallest province of Cana

The Albanian parliament has approved a public-private partnership (PPP) deal worth nearly €214 million for a 17km section of motorway between Milot and Balldre.

Slovakia is to invest around €2.9 billion to improve roads in the economically depressed coal-mining region Upper Nitra. Work will include upgrades and repairs to 150km of dual carriageways and motorways in order to attract businesses other than those associated with mining which is being gradually closed. The improved road infrastructure will connect existing and planned business and commercial parks and zones, according to local media. Towns near the R2 dual carriageway, including Handlova, Novaky a

Completion of Prague’s outer ring-road connecting the D1 motorway with Běchovice town to the north should be in 2024, a year earlier than planned. Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš made the announcement, saying the 2025 date set by the Czech Highway Authority was too far off, according to local media. The national Czech News Agency reported that the 12.5km section will cost around €365 million. Transport minister Vladimíra Kremlík said that the state will have to acquire land from up to 500 land ow

Brazil has set out plans for a massive programme of transport infrastructure development. This will see extensive works being handled until 2022. In all 16,000km of road works will be carried out, as well as a number of rail improvements and upgrades. External investment is being sought for many of the major projects.

New loans will help pay for road building in India’s Kerala State. The World Bank is providing a package of loans worth US$216 million. This will be used to upgrade and widen 363km of roads in Kerala State. The work forms part of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), specifically for the second phase of the State Highway corridor programme.

Indonesia is planning to construct more tolled highways as well as bridges. One novel proposal is for a new tolled road that will run along the sea dike protecting the Jakarta Coast. This new road is intended to lower congestion levels in North Jakarta by providing an alternative route to existing links. Indonesia’s Transport Ministry is working with the Korea International Partnership Agency and the Dutch Water and Infrastructure Management Agency on the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NC

A major long term financing package has been secured for highway projects in India. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will benefit from a credit package worth nearly US$ 3.4 billion. This is being provided by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The deal involves bonds issued for a 30-year period. India has also announced plans to continue with its massive road development programme. By 2024/25, the $10.8 billion road development programme will have extended the country’s network b

A Canadian firm is taking over three highways in India from Essel Highways. The US$472.8 million deal is for the the Essel Devanahalli Tollway in Karnataka state, the Lebad-Jaora highway in Madhya Pradesh and Essel Dichpally Tollway in Telangana. The Canadian company is Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)

A Chinese contractor is expressing interest in building a major bridge connection in Bangladesh.