Mota-Engil in line for second major Mexico highway concession

A consortium led by Mota-Engil is the likely winner of Mexico's Tuxpan-Tampico highway concession tender after it submitted the lowest financial bid.

Mota-Engil estimated that works would cost 3.48bn pesos (US$262mn) and called for a subsidy of 1.28bn pesos and venture capital of 1.04bn pesos.

Other bidders included Coconal, in association with Operadora de Autopistas, with a cost of works bid of 3.69bn pesos, while Acciona Infraestructuras in consortium with Constructora Y Edificadora Gia+A submitted the highest bid at 6.10bn pesos.

Two other consortiums were disqualified following their failure to submit technical bids that met the minimum requirements.

The winning bidder will be required to build, operate and maintain the highway's 107km Tuxpan-Ozuluama stretch for 30 years.

Following a series of modifications to the original timetable, the concession will be awarded on September 26.

The Tuxpan-Tampico highway links two of Mexico's busiest Gulf coast ports and will be the first project in the country to be developed under the public-private partnership law's unsolicited proposal provision.

BNamericas will host its 5th South America Infrastructure Summit in Colombia on October 22-23.