Court OKs 2nd hwy concessions round advancement

Brazil's government is free to continue its second federal highway concessions round after the country's supreme court threw out a petition by the federal public ministry regarding the charging of tolls, the transport ministry said. The public ministry had asked that tolls only be allowed if there were free, alternative routes, said the release. The free, alternative route requirement would have made the tollroad's operation not economically viable, according to federal lawyer Douglas Vitoriano Locateli. A call for bids for the second round is expected next semester, with total private investment in the eight stretches - to be offered under concession for 25 years - expected to come to more than 12bn reais (US$4.75bn). The highways to be put out to concession total 3,039km and are split into eight lots: BR-153 in São Paulo state (322km), BR-116 in Paraná and Santa Catarina (407km), BR-393 in Rio de Janeiro (201km), BR-101 in Rio de Janeiro (321km), BR-381 in Minas Gerais and São Paulo (562km), BR-116 in São Paulo and Paraná (402km), BR-116 and BR-376 in Paraná and BR-101 in Santa Catarina (368km), and BR-101 in Espírito Santo (458km).