Skip to main content

Mexico has plans for massive infrastructure investment

Mexico’s Government has plans for a massive programme of infrastructure improvements across the country. In all some US$314 billion will be invested in infrastructure, of which $47 billion will be targeted at improving the country’s transportation network. Mexico’s national transport and communications ministry, SCT, will manage the projects which include works for highways and airports. The plans are expected to include a combination of private and public funding sources, although further details have yet
July 19, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Mexico City’s congestion is notorious and the city’s traffic regularly slows to a crawl at peak periods
RSSMexico’s Government has plans for a massive programme of infrastructure improvements across the country. In all some US$314 billion will be invested in infrastructure, of which $47 billion will be targeted at improving the country’s transportation network. Mexico’s national transport and communications ministry, 3067 SCT, will manage the projects which include works for highways and airports. The plans are expected to include a combination of private and public funding sources, although further details have yet to be released. The present Mexican Government looks set to follow on from the earlier infrastructure programme set out by the previous administration. This reveals that a change of political perspective has not changed the understanding by the country’s politicians that infrastructure investment is important for continued economic development. The country’s capital, Mexico City, is widely thought to have become the world’s second largest city in terms of population numbers. Mexico City has expanded enormously in recent years and has suffered from uncontrolled growth, with its existing infrastructure unable to cope with the vast increase in vehicle numbers. Pollution is a major problem, especially as the city is at altitude and heavy smog is a frequent blight. Various measures have been carried out by the city authorities to curb vehicle pollution, with diesel powered vehicles having been required to switch to gas as fuel within the city.

The Mexican Government has stated it will invest $4.8 billion on roads in 2013. This forms part of the plan for investment in roads between 2013 and 2018. The first projects planned include 15 highways, 29 major roads, 665km of rural roads and feeder routes and 16 bypasses, which will cost MXN 18.540bn. Other plans looking further ahead include work on 19 highways, 20 major roads, 17 bypasses, and bridges, feeders and rural routes.

The Brazilian company 1305 Odebrecht has made a bid to build the Tuxpan-Tampico link, which will cost around $560 million. It is expected that Mexico’s National Fund for Infrastructure will cover around 50% with the remainder to come from the private sector. Other companies interested in the project must submit their offers by 15 January 2014.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US$ billions for Ivory Coast road expansion programme
    March 14, 2024
    Ivory Coast is investing US$ billions for its road expansion programme.
  • Mexican highway projects underway
    July 16, 2015
    The Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) has confirmed that a total of 1,474 road infrastructure contracts were granted in the first half of 2015. This work is costing in the region of US$1.02 billion. A total of 74% of these contracts were awarded to Mexican companies, whilst 26% corresponded to foreign firms. SCT informed that 31 projects were concluded so far in 2015 and added that 12 additional initiatives were expected to be completed by the end of the year.
  • Chilean highway project faces questions
    February 14, 2012
    The plans for Chile's new Vespucio Oriente highway are under a question mark at present. The Chilean Construction Chamber (CChC) and the association of concession-holders (COPSA) have raised concerns over the plans by the country's government to press ahead with the construction of the 13km Vespucio Oriente highway in capital Santiago.
  • New international trade crossing linking Canada and US
    June 9, 2015
    The Detroit River is short, only 45km, and narrow in places, less than 1km. Around a quarter of the annual $658 billion Canada-US trade crosses over the river. That’s $160 billion worth of goods trucked each year between Detroit in the US state of Michigan and the Canadian city of Windsor in the province of Ontario - the Windsor-Detroit Corridor. There are several types of crossings, but the vast majority of commercial traffic must use the 2.3km Ambassador Bridge (see box). A new bridge was initially prop