Odebrecht undertakes concession in São Paulo
Valor Econômico 04/03/2009
After seven years away from the highway concessions, yesterday Odebrecht assumed the first segment under its administration since the company left the partnership at CCR, in the beginning of 2002. The contractor won the most important of the five lots bid by the State of São Paulo in October, Dom Pedro highway, a total of 297 kilometers which the company must pay the State R$ 1.3 billion (US$ 566.2 million) for - and it plans on investing another R$ 1.4 billion (US$ 608.7 million) in the first six years of the concession. This time Odebrecht undertook the business alone, and it says it is prepared to fight for new contracts.
The new concessionaire was named Route of the Flags (Rota das Bandeiras), and, for 30 years, it will manage the 145 kilometers of Dom Pedro Highway, besides other small roads that connect it to near cities, amounting to 297 kilometers. The concessionaire should lay out R$ 2.4 billion (US$ 1 billion) in investments in the highway throughout the period of the concession. Dom Pedro highway was won with the smaller discount in the rates among the five segments bid by the Government of the State of São Paulo in October, a value 6% below the maximum set by the bidding rules - the greater discount, offered by BR Vias in the west segment of Marechal Rondon, was 40%. According to the director of the new Dom Pedro concessionaire, in spite of the low discount, drivers will still find rates at least 15% below the average of those of the 12 other concessions in operation in São Paulo.