Finance & Funding

A time extension has been offered to the consortium that will build Paraguay’s Ruta 2 and Ruta 7 highway projects. This extended period has been authorised by Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC). The highway contract is being handled by the Rutas del Este consortium, which is made up of the contractors Mota Engil, Ocho A and Sacyr. Originally the financing package for the highway deal was to have been in place by April 14th 2018. However the consortium’s deadline for the PPP

India’s Road Transport and Highways Ministry is working on plans for a new high speed road link connecting the capital, New Delhi, with the key economic and industrial centre, Mumbai. The route will form part of the country’s new highway network and is expected to cost in the order of US$15.3 billion to construct. In addition, another highway project has been proposed that will be linked to the planned New Delhi Mumbai route. The new inter-city highway will be tolled and will reduce travel times between New

Plans are being drawn up for a new road link that will connect Myanmar’s main deep-sea port of Dawei with neighbouring Thailand. The development of the new route is being approved by Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (Neda). The project is expected to cost US$144.2 million and the road will be around 100km long. A full finance package has yet to be finalised for the project but a series of loans are being sought. Once complete, the road will connect the port of

India’s Madhya Pradesh State is planning to improve connectivity to rural areas with a plan to improve rural roads. Funding for the work is being provided through a loan sourced from the Chinese Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The loan is worth some US$140 million and will help pay for surfacing work to existing gravel roads and dirt roads. In addition, a road safety programme will be instituted across the state, using a portion of the loan.

Funding for major infrastructure rebuilding work in Puerto Rico has now been secured. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided a budget of US$135 million, which will be used to repair roads and bridges in Puerto Rico that were damaged by hurricane Maria. This budget should be sufficient to pay for 90% of the work needed. However the source of the remaining 10% of the infrastructure repair budget has yet to be announced.

Kubota has invested nearly €1.4 million to enhance operational performance and standards at its UK headquarters in Thame, England. The investment includes expanding its office and meeting room space and completed groundworks resurfacing for better traffic flow around the site. Also included has been refurbishment to its Training Academy and Research & Development Centre. Other improvements include installation of a cantilever racking system to streamline inventory processes and to hold more stock to maint

The latest addition to Goldhofer’s STZ-VP family is the “big boy”, whose 285mm tyres makes it the company’s loader semi-trailer with the highest load-carrying capacity. It has proven pendular axle technology available in configurations between three and 10 axles as well as a choice of decks - vessel bridge, crawler deck and flatbed. It also has a technically permissible axle load of around 15.5tonnes and a deck profile of only 200mm for the flatbed, putting it slimmest on the market, according to Goldhofer

Kobelco Construction Machinery and Kobelco Cranes will merge their European hydraulic excavator and crane sales and service operations. Following the consolidation with Kobelco Cranes in April 2016, Kobelco Construction Machinery (KCM) has been reorganising and consolidating its group companies across the globe. As part of this, the construction machinery division will reorganise its structure in Europe “to improve efficiency, strengthen product development capabilities and effectively use management resou