Mexico to launch four new road tenders

Mexico's transport and communications ministry (SCT) will launch four new tenders for roads in the coming months, the undersecretary for infrastructure at the communications and transport ministry (SCT), Raúl Murrieta Cummings, announced at a construction industry conference.

Due to the recent round of austerity cuts as a consequence of the drop in global oil prices that has undermined Mexico's public finances, "all tenders were postponed between January and February this year in order to be adjusted," he said.

The SCT plans to launch the bidding processes for projects to build the Indios Verdes-Santa Clara viaduct in Mexico City; the Orizaba beltway in Veracruz state, the Tulum bypass in Quintana Roo state and the Las Varas-Puerto Vallarta highway in Nayarit, Murrieta Cummings told delegates at the 28th Mexican Construction Industry Congress in Mexico City on Wednesday, March 11.

The tender for the Indios Verdes-Santa Clara viaduct in Mexico City will be launched between March and April, and will involve 10bn pesos (US$648mn), he said, but did not disclose any further details of the other tenders.

The SCT has already launched the tender for the Hermosillo bypass and "we have received proposals from at least five companies for this tender," Murrieta said.

The round of austerity cuts has affected the country's ambitious infrastructure plan for 2014-18, he pointed out, with that impact being reflected in the 4bn-peso cut in the budget to build new roads. However, he added that "the cuts will not affect construction of highways, ports, the Mexico City-Toluca railway, or construction of the new Mexico City airport."

However, these austerity measures have already hit two emblematic rail projects, which it has has been considering since last year.

"In the investment area, there will be a reduction of 18.1bn pesos. This includes the definitive cancelation of the Transpeninsular passenger train and the indefinite suspension of the Mexico City-Querétaro high speed train," the finance ministry SHCP announced earlier this year.