The National Highway Authority of India, or NHAI, will give developers the option of extending the concession period by up to five years if the traffic reaches the maximum level, provided the developer adds more lanes to the road. Join discussion...

Mexico's transport and communications ministry (SCT) has published revised bidding rules for the Punta Colonet port project in Baja California state. The concession will involve constructing and operating a railway line, providing rail transport facilities and related services, and building a port in Bahía Colonet, SCT said in a release. Join discussion...

The Jaypee Group is ready to add another landmark to it. Having the ambitious Yamuna Expressway under its belt, the group has now undertaken to construct an eight-lane 20 km long inner Ring Road. The massive almost Rs 1,100 crore project has been given to the company, which plans to construct the road from National Highway 2 near Kuberpur village to National Highway 3 near Rohta village. To be developed on Design-Finance-Operate and Transfer (DFOT) basis, the project has been given a go ahead by the housing department. Join discussion...

The Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo gave the Autopistas de Sol the green light yesterday to continue work on the San José - Caldera highway. Work on the section between Santa Ana and Orotina of the highway, which links San José to the port town of Caldera, Puntarenas, was stopped last month after environmental concerns, specifically in the area known as Barva, were denounced against the contractor. Join discussion...

Argentine investment group Corporación América (CASA) has submitted a private initiative to the Uruguayan government for the construction of an urban highway, an official from Uruguay's presidential office told BNamericas. Join discussion...

It’s no secret Virginia has an economic gem on its Eastern Seaboard. Blessed with a naturally deep harbor, the Port of Virginia has emerged as one of the leading ports on the East Coast. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that private businesses took notice of one of Virginia’s most lucrative assets. Privatization of Virginia’s port operations has been brought up before. But this year the issue moved to the forefront after Illinois-based CenterPoint Properties Trust made an unsolicited $3.5 billion offer in March. Since then, two other bidders have come calling: The Carlyle Group and a partnership involving Carrix Inc. and Goldman Sachs. Join discussion...

Peru's private investment promotion agency ProInversión is considering postponing the concession of Ica region's Pisco port until 2010, a ProInversión official told BNamericas. The concessionaire will have to invest an estimated US$162mn to improve the maritime port's infrastructure and more than double its cargo handling capacity. Join discussion...

Chile's state-owned San Antonio port administrator Empresa Portuaria San Antonio (EPSA) hopes to launch the Costanera-Espigón terminal concession by year-end, the firm's chairman Patricio Arrau told BNamericas. The concession contemplates handing over sites 4 and 7 of Costanera-Espigón to a single operator for a period of 30 years. The project will require an investment of over US$300mn in infrastructure and equipment. Join discussion...

Florida DOT is restarting the procurement of a toll concession to build and operate the Jacksonville First Coast Outer Beltway. This week they lodged a notice withdrawing the first procurement which was delayed about a year while the state obtained legislation exempting concessionaires from property tax. "Too much time had passed and some of the previous bidders indicated their position had changed," we were told by Gina Busscher, FDOT's public information officer today. "We decided it was best to start over on the concession procurement, although some work, such as environmental permitting is unaffected." Join discussion...

Italian builder Astaldi has won a contract in Turkey, along with five Turkish companies, to build and operate a highway from Istanbul to Smirne, said a banking source close to Astaldi on Monday. Join discussion...