A payment has been made for a portion of the funding required for a new bridge project in Paraguay. The bridge will span the Paraguay River and connect capital Asuncion with Chaco'i.
The consortium awarded the contract, Consorcio Union, has been given the US$6.7 million payment by Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Works and Communications. However, the payment only accounts for some 5% of the fuds required to build the 450m bridge, which is expected to cost $134 million to construct. The remainder of the funding will be supplied by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).
Consorcio Union comprises the local firms CDD Construcciones and Constructora Heisecke. The consortium has a five month period in which to design the structure and commence its construction. However, a new complication is that the Portuguese firm Construgomes Engenharia may be the company that actually builds the bridge. This is because neither CDD Construcciones nore Constructora Heisecke are thought to have sufficient experience of building the type of bridge being planned.
Although the bridge is in Paraguay, it will provide an important international link for the country as Chaco'i lies close to the border with Argentina.
