Lend Lease Corporation Limited, through its UK public private partnership (PPP) business Catalyst Lend Lease, has agreed to sell its 50% financial interest in Catalyst Healthcare (Romford) Holdings Limited (Queen's Hospital), a UK-based hospital, to HSBC Infrastructure Company Limited for GBP23.9 million. Join discussion...

Communities in north metro Denver are in danger of getting no train service from RTD's FasTracks program unless the transit agency drastically changes its approach to the project, according to a new report. Under the FasTracks plan, lines to the north metro region would be among the last to be built, so those communities "carry all the accumulated risk and a reasonable probability of not seeing return from their tax contributions," according to the study. Join discussion...

The operation of the high-speed rail system (HSR), although a major BOT (build-operate-transfer) project, has been run in contrast to the BOT spirit under the management of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp., according to a study report worked out by the Control Yuan, the government's highest watchdog body. Join discussion...

Chile's public works ministry (MOP) will in mid-2010 launch the registration process to shortlist firms for capital Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez airport's new concession contract, the head of master plans at the ministry's planning and investment studies division, John Rathkamp, told BNamericas. Join discussion...

The Department for Transport is expected to put out a tender for strategic advisers on the sale of the Dartford Bridge on the London orbital M25 road before the Christmas holidays. Join discussion...

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport November 26 commissioned the HCMC Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company to broaden a stretch of the Hanoi Highway between Saigon Bridge and the Tan Van Crossroad to more than 100 meters. HCMC will broaden a 15.7-kilometer stretch of the Hanoi Highway to ease the terrible congestion on it (Photo: Tuoi Tre) The work on the 15.7-kilometer stretch, to be done under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract, will cost VND2.29 trillion (US$127 million) and take 36 months to complete. Join discussion...

Pension fund to invest in alternative investments * First time UK pension fund is endowed with PFI LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - British maintenance firm Interserve (IRV.L) is transferring 61.5 million pounds' ($102.6 million) worth of public finance initiative investments into its pension scheme to cut about a quarter of its deficit. Join discussion...

LBJ FREEWAY: It's a free road now, but Spanish road firm Cintra will begin rebuilding it as a mix of free lanes and tolled lanes beginning mid-2011 or sooner. The $2.1 billion project will take five years, but once completed, drivers will have a choice: Sit in traffic on the free lanes or pay tolls that could reach $1 a mile to take the tolled lanes. Join discussion...

Chile's public works ministry (MOP) is working on five new urban highway concession initiatives totaling US$2bn, an official from the ministry's concessions division told BNamericas. MOP is currently drawing up the documentation for capital Santiago's Vespucio Oriente highway, which will be launched for tender next year, the official said. Join discussion...

Viet Nam should strengthen its private-public partnership (PPP) models to attract investments for infrastructure projects. This conclusion was reached at an international conference held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Ha Noi yesterday. Join discussion...