Deals

Five bid for Chilean highway project

Bidders for the $800m scheme, which would run under parts of the capital region, include companies from Spain and China.

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A highway project planned for the Chilean capital, Santiago, received five bids, the country’s public works ministry has announced.

The Américo Vespucio Oriente Tramo Príncipe de Gales-Los Presidentes, or AVO II, will include two underground three-lane tunnels running 5.2km through several neighbourhoods around the capital. The tender process for the project, estimated to cost $800 million, was launched in August.

Bidders on the project included Spain’s Cintra; Chile’s Grupo Costanera; China Harbour Engineering Company; the Vespucio Oriente Express consortium comprising Concesiones Infrastructure Chile Dos and Italy’s Salini Impregilo; and Consorcio Vespucio Oriente, made up of Sacyr and OHL Concesiones, both of Spain.

Concession coordinator Eduardo Abedrapo called the response a “great achievement”, noting that the first section of the project received only two bids. Public works director Juan Manuel Sánchez called the response “tremendous news” for residents of the capital.
The offers will be announced at the end of July, the ministry said.

The tender’s results will bolster Chile’s status as one of the region’s PPP champions. Other road projects considered in recent years have included the $128 million El Melon Tunnel Project, the $1 billion Costanera Central Highway and the $254 million Nahuelbuta Route.