Santa Cruz bridge tenders set for Nov.

Representatives from South Korea's EximBank have agreed to open a US$23mn credit line for Bolivia's government to help finance construction of a 1.4km traffic bridge over Santa Cruz department's Grande river, El Deber reported. Bidding will open by early-November. The 30-year loan includes a 10-year grace period and carries 2% annual interest, the paper said. Local funds are expected to finance the balance of the US$27mn project. The plan was first reported by BNamericas in July. Bank representatives have been reviewing bridge designs and possible locations in recent days, helping decide where exactly to build the two-way facility. Original plans called for constructing it 400m north of an existing one-lane bridge built for railroads, though a bank engineer also believes construction 300m south is feasible. Bolivian-Korean consortium BSE-CONSA will conduct project supervision, and is finalizing project designs. The bridge is part of a planned inter-oceanic link between South America's Atlantic and Pacific coasts.