Private banking will finance 3,000 million euros for strategic infrastructures

Lleida (ACN).- The economic crisis has affected companies’ capacity to obtain credit from the banks. However, the situation is starting to change. Construction companies working on strategic infrastructures in Catalonia have received around 3,000 million euros from the bank sector to finance their construction. The Catalan Minister for Public Works, Joaquim Nadal, explained this agreement, stressing the fact that this sum will be for infrastructures that the Government considers as “strategic”. He listed some of these works, which include adding two more lanes (one in each direction) to the highway from Girona to Lleida (via Vic and Manresa) and improving the Barcelona metropolitan area’s mobility.

In September, the some of these works will begin, such as adding two extra lanes to the Transversal highway which crosses Catalonia (called the “Eix Transversal”). Concretely, the lanes will be added in two points: between Olugues and Manresa and between Manresa and Vic. The works will cost 1,000 and 800 million euros respectively. Next month, the 70-million euro contract to add two lanes to the highway between Vilanova de la Barca and Térmens will also be allocated. Besides, the works from another part of the “Eix Transversal”, between Vic and Riudellots de la Selva are going forward according to the expected schedule. Nadal said that all of the works to add lanes on this highway will be completed in less than 3 years.

In addition, 300 million euros will be allocated to the enlargement of the metropolitan railway line going to Sabadell, in the suburbs of Barcelona. The train now stops in the centre of Sabadell and it will soon cross the city, linking it with northern neighbourhoods and acting as a sort of underground service.

The Catalan Minister for Public Works made this announcement while visiting the works to add an extra lane to the South section of the circle road around Lleida.