Road asphalt consumption breaks records and bets on PPP to support it

The consumption of road asphalt in the first half of 2018 accumulated a total of 316,359 tons, 15% more than the same period of 2017, which closed with 275,044 tons, becoming best semester of history reported today the Ministry of Transport.

"Last year was positioned as the highest consumption in the history of this entry into the country, this year's figures would point to a new record," adds the report portfolio led by Guillermo Dietrich.

"We have kept this year's ambitious budget in the Ministry and the level of work, with road asphalt consumption reaching record highs, a clear indicator of the level of activity in the work. We are building the infrastructure that is changing people's lives, "Dietrich said.

According to the authorities, the figures for road asphalt consumption are due to "the progress of the national transport plan". Something they present as "one of the main indicators of the great movement that is in the public work."

The mandatory question is whether these figures can be maintained over time, when everything indicates that part of the reduction in spending imposed by the reduction of the budget deficit after the agreement with the IMF will involve a size in public works, which will be estimated at around 30,000 million pesos and respect to which various stakeholders have already expressed concern, as SMEs in construction .

"We will continue to see this rhythm" predicted sources of the Treasury before El Cronista. "The work already started will be completed, those that have not started, are postponed, are not suspended, and they are beginning to stick to the implementation of the plans for the Public Private Participation Program (PPP)." 19659002 ] In Transportation also believe that the rate of road asphalt consumption will be maintained, a way of saying that they bet that the road map be maintained, or that at the the less he gets unhurt from cuts in public works. "The decision was that all work in progress is continuing and is complete. And in addition, in the second half, the injection of public works generated by public-private participation contracts, "explain the sources of the portfolio

The discussion on the 2019 budget will be at a standstill both at inside and outside Cambiemos. In the transport sector, they are aware that the budget is in full gestation but they believe "that PPPs will continue this year and next year .The first stage was offered until the end of the year. now the second and the third are missing, supporting the most important road works: more than 7000 km with road works and safe routes ".

The official plan must not leave the bid calendar for PPP contracts. In this sense, the idea is that in October the second call for tenders will take place and the third between December and January 2019.

From Transporte they also celebrated that last month, June , it was the second best in history, with 48,011 tons. "And it was a month that included a general strike," they said.

Marcelo Martínez, president of the Asphalt Commission and the Argentina Road Association, noted the consumption figures: The country and for the sector had the best semester, exceeding even the last year's mark, which in the same period had been the highest historical consumption in Argentina.In addition, the implementation of new technologies has led to increase the consumption of modified asphalt. "-

Roads of Argentina

" As for the road works, from December 2015 to today, more than 300 kilometers of highway have been completed, near 1,500 km of roads were paved and 3,700 km repaved, the work carried out by the Department of Transportation Nation through National Highway and reconfigure the road network in Argentina, "says the report of the agency that leads Dietrich.

He adds: "In addition, work has already been done on the transformation of more than 3,300 kilometers of national roads through the public-private participation system, involving a total investment of about 8,000 Millions of dollars of which $ 6,000 million will be invested in the first four years to transform the new network of roads and safe roads launched by the national government. "

The plan of the new network is divided into three stages of auction , with a total investment of more than $ 12,500 million for the first 5 years and more than $ 4,200 million over the next 10 years. Throughout the three stages will have occurred around 7,277 kilometers of national roads, thanks to the construction of 1,610 kilometers of motorways, 3,310 kilometers of safe road, 324 kilometers of special works and 26 kilometers of variants. ; In total, 5,270 kilometers. The detail of the remaining 2,077 kilometers pbades through the improvement and maintenance of the existing road network.

The transportation report was also rich in the role played by the construction of Metrobus in the province. "Throughout 2017, 20 km of Metrobus corridors in the province of Buenos Aires and the" transformation underway by the national government on the streets of the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires "have been completed. The aim is that the streets in which public transport circulates cease to be land.

They also attribute the figures of asphalt consumption to the progress of "airport infrastructure". As far as management is concerned, the runways at Chapelco, Trelew, Mendoza, Tucumán and Ezeiza airports have already been renovated, and this year there will be seven new tracks: the Ezeiza high school, which is already in operation. construction, Comodoro Rivadavia, Saint John, Córdoba, the main and secondary school of Salta in construction, and that of Iguazú. "