Public Works Ministry to relaunch first half of 2002 awarding process of US$160 million concession for expressway to connect the town of Colina, north of Santiago, with the capital's Vitacura borough. Four-lane highway with eight tunnels totalling 7 km. Concession will last 40 years. Visit www.moptt.cl 45/01. The public works ministry will invite bids for the US$160 million northeast access to Santiago this quarter. The project consists of a 20.5 km four-lane highway connecting Santiago's Americo Vespucio beltway and Costanera expressway in the northeast of the capital with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5, the Pan-American highway, both north of the city. It will include eight tunnels - four in each direction - totalling 7.2 km in length. Bids for the concession to build and operate the road for 30 years will be due in the fourth quarter and the contract should be awarded by year-end or early 2003. A previous attempt to award the concession in 2000 failed to attract viable bids. Construction will take three years. Visit www.vialidad.cl 30/02. The ministry of public works is to invite bids on 30th October, 2002 for the 21 km-long northeast access expressway, also known as northeast orbital road. The scheme is a four-carriageway highway connecting the Américo Vespucio highway in Santiago and the Costanera highway in the northeast area of the capital with Route 57 in Los Andes and Route 5, the Panamericana road, both located north of the city. There will be four double-tube tunnels totalling 7.2 km. Visit www.moptt.cl 43/02. Bids invited for concession of the 21.5 km-long northeast access expressway which includes four double-tube tunnels in La Pirí¡mide, Manquehue I, Manquehue II and Montegordo. Total length in tunnel 7.2 km. Deadline 6th March, 2003. Visit www.moptt.cl. To know the contractors who already bought the tender documents, read E-News Weekly # 50. 50/02.The public works ministry has extended to 23rd May, 2003 the submission of bids for the US$130 million northeast access expressway. The 21 km project, called radial nororiente, is a 30-year concession for a four-lane highway connecting Americo Vespucio beltway and the Costanera expressway, northeast of Santiago, with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5 (the Pan-American Highway), both north of the capital. Technical offers will be opened 23rd May and economic offers 23rd June. Potential bidders include El Chamisero consortium, Tradeco, OHL, Infraestructura 2000, Impregilo, Sacyr and Delta. Works will also include four double-tube tunnels totalling 7.2 km in length. Visit www.moptt.cl 20/03.Itinere, a subsidiary of Spain's Sacyr Vallehermoso group, is the preferred bidder with a US$130 million bid for the northeast access expressway concession to be built in Santiago. The 30-year concession involves building a 21.5 km, four-lane highway connecting capital Santiago's Americo Vespucio beltway and the Costanera expressway (under construction) in the city's northeast sector with Route 57 to the town of Los Andes and Route 5 (the Pan-American highway), both north of the capital. The public works ministry will now review documents for a 90-120 day period, before the contract is officially signed. Work is estimated to take three years and will include eight tunnels - four in each direction - totalling 7.2 km in length. Visit www.moptt.cl 38/03.