Mexico’s Nuevo León state updates mobility tender priorities

Mexico’s Nuevo León state is pursuing mobility projects, planning to build three metro lines and one major highway this year. 

Tenders for six elements of the 19bn-peso (US$915mn) Nueva Interserrana highway will be released on Friday, while bidding for metro lines No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 remains open until September, state mobility and urban planning minister Hernán Villarreal Rodríguez told a press conference Wednesday. 

Concerns over the portfolio arose after governor Samuel García announced that a 3.5bn-peso loan from development bank Banobras for the metro lines will instead fund the state’s part of the 15.7bn-peso El Cuchillo II aqueduct, for which works will begin in September. 

"We checked with the [finance and treasury ministry] the economic feasibility and they gave us the green light to continue with the projects," Villarreal said. 

Interserrana highway

The 80km highway will connect the country’s center and Monterrey, while also enabling a connection with the northern border to the Colombia bridge in Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa and Matamoros in Tamaulipas state. 

It comprises three stretches between the municipalities of Montemorelos, Linares, Rayones, and Galeana. Tenders for the stretches and three overpasses will be launched on Friday, Villarreal said, without specifying if the tenders involve the overpasses or are separate.

“It will have a road distributor in San Roberto, which is the junction, a section of 5.8km, then another overpass that is the upper vehicular bridge, El Tokio, and then two other sections, one 5.2km and another 6km, and at the end, a road distributor at the junction with highway 61,” he said. 

Although tender calls have not been launched, Villareal said bids for the stretches will be received until the end of August and a winner will be announced on September 9. 

In January, Mexican firm Consorcio Constructivo y Proyectos won a contract to carry out the executive plan for the highway, which was originally planned as a public-private partnership.

Metro lines 4, 5, 6

Works involve adding three lines, 41km in total, to the Metrorrey subway system to connect the city’s downtown area and Santa Catarina and Mederos municipalities.  

Bidding started in April and, according to the latest tender calendar, bids will be received until September 9. A winner will be announced on September 23. Works should start at the end of that month, Villareal said, adding that the lines should be completed by August 2027. 

According to procurement records on the ministry’s site, Mota-Engil México, La Peninsular Compañía Constructora, Constructora Moyeda, Alstom Transport México, Caabsa Infraestructura, ICA Infraestructura and BYD Autobusses have shown interest.

Last month, the state government also published a tender to supervise the construction of all three lines. The winner will be announced on August 18. Supervision services are expected to start on August 31 and conclude in August 2027. No reference budget was provided.