Skip to main content

Brazil-Spain group could lose highway contract

An engineering consortium made up of Brazil's Mendes Junior and Spain's Isolux Corsán could be stripped of its US$208 million contract to build part of the northern stretch of the Mario Covas beltway surrounding the city of São Paulo. The consortium, led by Mendes Junior, is having difficulty honouring commitments due to a lack of cash flow and, according to São Paulo state highway company Dersa, it is not completing works according to the contract schedule signed in January 2013, local paper Folha de Sã
April 10, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSA consortium of Brazil's 6871 Mendes Junior and Spain's 1954 Isolux Corsán could lose its US$208 million contract to build part of the northern section of the Mario Covas beltway around the Brazilian city of São Paulo.

The consortium, led by Mendes Junior, is falling behind schedule because of cash flow problems, according to São Paulo state highway company 5947 Dersa. The deal was signed in January 2013, local paper Folha de São Paulo reported.

If matters do not improve this month, "it is very likely that we will terminate our agreement based on a breach of contract," Dersa president Laurence Casagrande was quoted as saying.

The 180km Rodoanel Mário Covas beltway is partially with a radius of around 23km from the geographical centre of Sao Paulo. It was named after Mário Covas, mayor of the city between 1983–1985 and a state governor from 1994-2001 until his death from cancer. It is a controlled access highway with a speed limit of 100kph.

The northern segment is the last of the bletway’s four sections to be built. Construction of Dersa’s stretch of the northern section was originally scheduled to be completed last year but was rescheduled to January 2016. However, at the beginning of this year, Dersa pushed back the completion date to the first half of 2017.

If terminated, Dersa could transfer the work to local construction company 4740 Odebrecht, which submitted the next best offer for the contract. If not, a new tender for the remaining work could be launched, according to the news report.

Mendes Junior is one of many engineering companies under investigated by the federal government's so called car wash corruption probe.

Related Content

  • Texas toll road contract awarded
    March 2, 2015
    The Texas Transportation Commission has awarded a contract to the Blueridge Transportation Group for the the planning, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of an express toll road and additional infrastructures for the SH 288 toll lanes project in Harris County in Texas. The consortium includes Israel-based Shikun & Binui Holdings, together with an infrastructure contractor and a financial investor. The ten mile stretch of road will connect Harris County to Houston. The project includes constr
  • China to back Brazil-Peru railway project
    May 15, 2015
    China is preparing a preliminary agreement with Brazil and Peru for the construction of a US$9.97 billion bi-national railway connecting the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil to the Pacific Ocean in Peru. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to visit Brasília next week to seal China's partnership with Brazil, as part of a visit to map out an overall economic cooperation deal involving a total of US$53.3 billion in investments across various sectors such as mining, energy and manufacturing, as well as transportation
  • Viaduct deck renewal creates detour dilemma for MassDOT
    May 26, 2016
    As the deck renewal of the I-91 viaduct in Springfield gets underway, David Crawford looks at the preparation and planning to ease the resulting traffic congestion. Accommodating the deck renewal of a 4km-long/four-lanes in each direction viaduct in the heart of Springfield (Massachusetts’ third largest city), has involved the state’s Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in a massive exercise in transport research and ITS-based area-wide preplanning and traffic management. Supporting a workzone of well ab
  • Brazil unveils major transportation, logistics concessions program
    June 12, 2015
    Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff and her planning and finance ministers have announced US$64 billion expenditure in new infrastructure plans under the country's logistics investment program PIL. The largest investment has been earmarked for railways, including the country’s flagship project, the Brazil-Peru railway, which will connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Norte-Sul line and investment in existing concessions.