Mexico invests in highway work

A healthy US$5.5 billion budget will be invested by Mexico's federal government on nationwide highway infrastructure projects during 2008. One of the key projects is for a bypass connecting Amozoc with Perote in Puebla and Veracruz states respectively, reports Business News Americas. Other projects include work in the northern part of Mexico City and the Morelia-Salamanca highway, linking Michoacán state with Guanajuato state. In 2008 southeastern Veracruz state will renovate a number of highways as well as maintaining feeder roads. One of the state's priorities is the bypass for capital Xalapa, with construction scheduled to start in late March or early April. Another project due for development is the Laguna Verde-Gutiérrez Zamora stretch of the Tuxpan-Tampico highway, which will connect Veracruz with neighboring Tamaulipas state to the north. Key tasks are the construction and modernisation of toll-free national highways, maintaining the federal network and developing the rural road network. Toll highway construction is another target and there are 11 projects under construction at different stages in their respective concession processes and all of them are scheduled for completion in 2008. Amongst those scheduled for works completion soon are the Amozoc-Perote highway, linking the states of Puebla and Veracruz; the Tepic-Villa Unión highway, connecting eastern Nayarit and Sinaloa states; and the Morelia-Salamanca highway, between the states of Michoacán and Guanajuato. Significant investments are also scheduled for the 221km Arco Norte of the Mexico City beltway, which is due for completion in December having started in January 2006. Recently awarded concessions include the Arriaga-Ocozocoautla highway in southern Chiapas state, which started in December 2007.