Proactive highway widening, maintenance and reinvestment are among the factors that have helped Highway 407 stem recessionary impacts, a company official said last week. Imad Nassereddine, chief traffic operations officer for the 407 ETR Concession Co. Ltd., was speaking at Transport Futures 2009: Road Pricing and Public Acceptance Workshops in Toronto Nov. 12 to 13. Join discussion...

"Construction could have been a lot worse. Overall results were a bit better than expected at the operating level, largely thanks to a surprisingly good performance from airports," an analyst in Spain said. BAA and Cintra posted nine-month results broadly in line with forecasts on Wednesday and flagged steadying traffic at airports and highways. Join discussion...

Spanish toll road operator Cintra (CCIT.MC), controlled by Ferrovial (FER.MC), said the pace of decline in traffic on its main toll roads had slowed after posting a 3.4 percent fall in nine-month core earnings. The company said highway traffic remained weak but the decline slowed in the second and third quarters. One bright spot was an increase in users of its Chicago Skyway. Join discussion...

Ferrovial-owned toll road operator Cintra said its shareholders approved its merger with the parent company. Earlier last week, Ferrovial's shareholders approved the operation and, once all the legal requirements are fulfilled, the transaction is expected to be completed towards the beginning of December. Join discussion...

An unaccountable transportation body in North Central Texas on Thursday awarded $3,615,214 in taxpayer money to a foreign corporation for its failure to produce a winning toll road project bid. The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Texas Council of Governments approved the payment to Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, a Spanish company, as a "stipend for unsuccessful bidders" and for costs associated with applications the company made for loans that would have been backed by federal taxpayers. Join discussion...

3.3 billion euro loan only activates after Cintra merger * Ferrovial says deal "clears the way for Cintra merger" * Ferrovial has no major debt maturities for next 3 years (Adds comment on planned Cintra merger, quote from company) Join discussion...

Spain's Cintra (CCIT.MC), controlled by Ferrovial (FER.MC), said on Friday that it had sold its car park subsidiary Cintra Aparcamientos to a consortium for 400 million euros ($557.3 million) plus 51 million euros in bank debt. Join discussion...

The Texas Department of Transportation on Tuesday launched a public-private partnership with a consortium that includes JPMorgan Chase and Spain's Cintra to build and operate 13 miles of highway in Tarrant County. Join discussion...

Dallas Morning News' Michael Lindenberger got the story first that the recently signed 52 year concession contract between Cintra and partners and TxDOT for the North Tarrant Express project is being held up by the state Attorney General, Greg Abbott on the grounds that it is not "legally sufficient." He has been arguing that the contract is unconstitutional and the News quotes him: "The Texas Constitution says that one Legislature cannot financially bind a future Legislature." Join discussion...

The Texas Department of Transportation "is trying to get around the constitution" by committing to a 52-year deal with a private developer to expand Tarrant County roads, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. The dispute between the department and the state’s top lawyer could lead to yet another delay for the decades-overdue North Tarrant Express project, which includes expansion of Northeast Loop 820, Texas 121/183 and eventually Interstate 35W north of downtown Fort Worth. Join discussion...