Gautemala's National Agency for the Development of Economic Infrastructure (NADIE) has issued a request for proposals for the Escuintla-Puerto Quetzal highway PPP. This concerns a section of the CA-9 Sur A highway that is located in the department of Escuintla, in the south of Guatemala. It links the city of Escuintla to the port city of Quetzal.

The successful bidder will be awarded a 25-year contract to rehabilitate, operate and maintain a 41.2km section of the highway. The rehabilitation will involve upgrading the road to a toll highway, so that operations can be funded by the charges to users.

The concessionaire will also be responsible for carrying out complementary works such as building toll areas and highway shoulders, installing traffic signage and completing the relevant drainage works.

The total investment required is estimated to be US$80 million.

This is the first initiative of its kind to be launched in Guatemala since the country's PPP law was passed in 2010 and the PPP promotion agency ANADIE was created in 2012.

As reported on this platform, in March this year ANADIE pre-qualified five teams for the project. Only these teams are allowed to submit proposals. They include Mexican-Guatemalan group Consorcio Autopistas de Guatemala, formed by companies Mahrnos and Precom; Dutch firm Mota-Engil Latin America B.V.; Peru's JJC Contratistas Generales; Italian firm ANAS International Enterprise; and the consortium formed by Mexican companies Coconal and Operadora de Autopistas.

Bids must be submitted on paper at ANADIE's headquarters in Guatemala City on March 15 2018. The technical proposals will be evaluated within 30 days of reception. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin either in late 2018 or early 2019.