News

[Transportation]

October 2011 - BTA Project Opens to Traffic

Astris Finance is pleased to announce that the 123-km Boulevard Touristico del Atlantico tollroad project, known as BTA, opened to traffic in October 2011. The project, lead-sponsored by Odinsa from Colombia reached financial close in December 2009. Astris Finance acted as Financial Advisor to the Sponsors throughout the development phase.

The Sponsors advised by Astris Finance secured a 15-year limited recourse project financing from a club of multilateral and bilateral agencies including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) and Proparco, the private sector arm of the French Development Agency (AFD).

In 2006, Astris Finance acted as Financial Advisor to the same group of sponsors and led to successful financial close the Autopista del Nordeste Toll Road Project, known as ADN. ADN, which connects with BTA, was financed in the US144-A market through the issuance of the first capital markets bond issue guaranteed by MIGA, a member of the World Bank Group. The last section of ADN opened to traffic in June 2008.

Astris Finance is currently advising Odinsa, IECSA from Argentina and Ghella from Italy in the closing of the financing of the VIADOM concession scheme in the Dominican Republic. 

The three projects total in excess of US$ 1bn of private investment in critical road infrastructure with very significant developmental impact.