Brazilian and Uruguayan authorities will award the construction of a US$12mn binational bridge over the Yaguaron river by end-2011, a spokesperson from Uruguay's foreign relations ministry told BNamericas.

 

The tender is due to be launched in three months' time, Uruguayan foreign relations minister Luis Almagro told local press after a meeting in Montevideo with his Brazilian counterpart, Antonio Patriota.

 

The bridge will link Brazilian town Santana do Livramento with Rivera in Uruguay as part of South American infrastructure integration initiative IIRSA's Mercosur-Chile corridor.

 

The initiative will be mainly financed by Brazil, according to the official.

 

The ministers met to prepare a meeting between Uruguayan President Jose Mujica and his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff on January 31.

 

During the meeting, the heads of state will also discuss other infrastructure initiatives, such as a railway integration plan, navigability projects, regional road and highway connectivity and the financing of Mercosur-related integration projects, the official said.