Tenders for 12 major infrastructure projects with a total value close to US$8 billion are being announced in Chile. The projects are being announced by Chile's Ministry for Public Works (MOP). Competition is expected to be fierce amongst bidders for the key projects, which include the $1.2 billion Autopista Central highway in capital Santiago, a new road to the city's international airport worth $480 million and the $172 million Autopista Nahuelbuta highway. At this stage it is not clear which firms will place bids for the projects but it seems likely that some European and Brazilian firms may opt to compete against Chilean businesses or to form consortia with local partners. Chinese and Australian firms may also opt to bid and set up consortia.
