Minister aims to free US$95.6mn for infra. works

Brazil's political coordination minister, Aldo Rebelo, aims to free 300mn reais (US$95.6mn) for various infrastructure projects, the AE Setorial reported. Electoral law allows until July 3 to carry out parliamentary amendments. Works will also include 3mn reais, to be received in June, for a bridge between Paulicéia in Sao Paulo state and Brazilândia in Mato Grosso do Sul state, and the expansion of the Florianópolis tourist roadways. Some 8mn reais has been received by the Alagoas governor for the Maceió airport works and additional funding for the Salvador metro project, the paper added. The 12km metro project in Bahia state capital Salvador are expected to cost US$308mn, BNamericas previously reported. Salvador's urban transport company CTS is managing the project, which will run from Lapa to Piraja and move 200,000 passengers a day. The project is the first of four public transport expansion phases planned for the city of some 2.2 million residents. In 2002, a consortium of Spanish companies CAF, Dimetronic and ICF won a 20-year concession to operate and maintain the metro, while a consortium of Brazilian construction companies Camargo Correa and Andrade Gutiérrez along with Germany's Siemens is carrying out the civil works that began in 2000.