Brazil road concessions face tender problems

Brazil’s Federal Government is keen to open a series of road projects to tenders but is facing a number of setbacks. However the country’s state governments are now pushing ahead with projects instead. Around US$4.38 billion worth of road concessions are planned by state governments, for some 5,000km of routes in all. These would include road upgrade and maintenance works, with concessions of up to 30 years. With Brazil’s Federal Government still in deadlock over its economic and political woes, the state governments have instead stepped up their activities in a bid to unjam the country’s road network. Bahia State, Goias State, Mato Grosso State, Minas Gerais State and Sao Paulo State have all unveiled road concession tender plans.