MTOP awards Guayaquil-Salinas toll road PPP
Ecuador’s Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Publicas (MTOP) has officially awarded the Guayaquil-Salinas toll road PPP concession to local developer Verdu. A total of 162km of highway route 40, linking the town of Santa Elena on the Pacific Coast to Guayaquil, will be upgraded.
The works require an initial investment of $72 million to renovate the road and improve drainage, while $232 million will be required for road maintenance over the life of the 20-year concession. The project will be financed with 30% equity from Verdu and 70% debt from Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF). Commercial operation is slated for 2020.
MTOP has also approved plans to tender the 44km Viaducto Sur de Guayaquil road project as a PPP concession. The scheme will require $1.04 billion of investment split between $780 million on construction and $260 million on operation and maintenance.
The project will include four bridges and roads that will connect with the south of the city. The link will provide access to the port at Guayaquil and will include the longest bridge in Ecuador at over 3km.