Eclac: 35,112km of roads under concession

There are 35,112km of roads under concession in 13 Latin American countries, according to a just released report from the transport division of the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean. Of the 35,112km, 450km are urban roads split among 15 concessions in seven cities in five countries, while another 24km (42 concessions) correspond to bridges and tunnel, including their accesses. The report adds that given there are 3.5 million kilometers of interurban highways, this means 1% are under concession, highlighting the fact that although some highway concessions exist before 1989, the concession process took off that year with more than 170 dating between 1989 and 1999. Mexico leads the region in terms of number of concessions with 115, followed by Brazil (36), Argentina (32), Chile (24) and Colombia (15). The information is updated to the first semester this year. For the full report see www.cepal.cl/Transporte/noticias/bolfall/4/13744/FAL208.htm