Govt to launch bidding process for BA-Mendoza RR, hwy

Argentina's transport ministry will launch a bidding process to rebuild a railway corridor to connect the provinces of Buenos Aires and Mendoza, local press reported. In addition, the government will launch a bidding process to re-build a stretch of route 7 which will run parallel to the railway. The project will cost an estimated US$50.8mn, with US$35mn coming from the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) and the rest in counterpart funding from the Argentine government. The 15km railway and highway stretches will be built to recover a logistics corridor running through Santa Fe province. It will connect the localities of Aarón Castellanos and Diego de Alvear in areas that have been flooded by La Picasa lake basin, which has grown considerably in recent years due to heavy rains. The rail line falls under a concession held by rail logistics operator América Latina Logística (ALL). Currently, ALL must follow a 300km detour to complete the route, which makes for a full day extra of transport, according to ALL president Eduardo Oliver. The projects will take some two years to complete once works are started, Oliver said. La Picasa measured 4,000ha in size in 1982, but has grown to between 25,000-30,000ha according to different estimates. Transport officials were not immediately available for comment when contacted by BNamericas.