Costs impact Concepcion access hwy's 9mths.

The concessionaire behind the Concepcion northern access highway in Chile's Region VIII posted a 70.2mn peso (US$1.12mn) net loss in the first nine months, versus a 2.9bn peso peso net profit in the same period last year. Despite a 6.5% increase in revenue to 5.49bn pesos due to increased traffic for the period, increased operating costs resulted in a 63.3mn peso operating loss, versus am 80.5mn peso profit for the same period last year, Sociedad Concesionaria Autopista del Itata said in a statement to the country's securities regulator, the SVS. Autopista del Itata Madera was awarded the US$196mn, 28-year concession in 1995. The 75km connects coastal town Tome - north of regional capital Concepcion - with the city of Chillan in the interior.