Bancomext wants to get off Aconcagua hwy.

Mexico's national foreign trade bank Bancomext, which controls highway concessionaire Autopista de Aconcagua, is looking for investors to take over the highway in north-central Chile, Bancomext general manager Octavio Colmenares announced. Among the interested investors are Spain's OHL and Sacyr, Chile's Estrategia quoted Colmenares as saying. Aconcagua secured a 23-year concession for the highway in 1996. The 218km stretch is on the Pan American highway (Ruta 5) and connects capital Santiago with Region IV coastal town Los Vilos, and required some US$255mn in works. Earlier this year, the concessionaire signed a US$178mn contract with three local banks to open a 15-year, US$178mn credit line, which will finance additional works requested by the public works ministry and refinance debt.