Mexico opens bids for this year's remaining road maintenance PPP contracts

Mexico's transport and communications ministry (SCT) opened economic bids for the two remaining highway maintenance projects to be developed under public-private partnership (PPP) models, according to information posted on government procurement website Compranet.

For one of the contracts, which involves rehabilitating and carrying out maintenance work on the 178km Matehuala, San Luis Potosí- Saltillo, Coahuila section of highway No. 57, the SCT opened four bids.

A consortium comprised of Promotora y Desarrolladora Mexicana, Promotora y Desarrolladora Mexicana de Infraestructura, Desarrollo de Terracerías, and API Movilidad posted the lowest offer, at 4.39bn pesos (US$244.6mn); while the highest bid of 5.16bn pesos was submitted by a consortium led by local company Construcciones Rubau.

Another five technical bids the ministry received were deemed unfeasible.

The SCT also received two economic offers for the contract calling for the rehabilitation and maintenance of three different highways connecting the northern city of Saltillo in Coahuila state to the border city of Nuevo Laredo, in Tamaulipas state: the 38km Saltillo-Monterrey highway; a 34km stretch of Monterrey's northern bypass; and the 181km Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo highway.

At 5.21bn pesos, the lowest bid came from a five-company consortium led by Consorcio Servyre, while local company Omega Construcciones Industriales submitted the highest offer at 6.05bn pesos.

Bids by four other consortiums were dismissed because they did not meet the eligibility requirements.

The winners for both of the 10-year contracts will be announced on July 19.

Up to two and a half years will be used to perform rehabilitation works on the highways, while maintenance works will be carried out during the remaining term.

The contracts are part of the four PPP road maintenance projects set to be awarded this year in a government strategy to compensate for reduced public spending. The first two of those contracts were awarded last week.

Close to 287mn pesos have been earmarked for the Matehuala-Saltillo highway for this year alone, while 595mn pesos have been allocated to the Saltillo-Monterrey-La Gloria highways.