Global Vía Infraestructuras, a company owned equally by FCC and Caja Madrid, has been adjudicated the SCADA and SCADI motorways in Chile for $553 million,€343 million, in an international request for tenders contested by the main companies in the sector.

The motorways have been on sale since the start of the year by their owner, the Mexican state bank Bancomext.

This is the first acquisition made by Global Vía on the American continent, reflecting the high potential of these assets once they pass into private management. The acquisition makes Global Vía one of the main operators in the region and sets up a key operations centre for achieving a high market share in the important process of tendering for infrastructures, due to start in the next few months in Chile.

Income from the two motorways is expected to reach €82 million by 2009 with an EBITDA of €42 million. There is a minimum guaranteed level of income in both concessions.

The 218 km long SCADA motorway joins Santiago with Los Vilos (north of Santiago) and carries an average of 35,414 vehicles a day. It forms part of the Pan-American Highway, the country's most important trunk road that crosses most of its urban centres. It has three toll areas, 40 bridges, 30 junctions and a tunnel 300 metres long.

The SCADI motorway, 89 km long, joins Concepción and Chillan and carries an average daily traffic flow of 7,280 vehicles. It has six junctions, one trunk toll area and two in accesses, with 45 overpasses and a bridge 240 metres long.

The incorporation of these two motorways consolidates Global Vía as the world's fifth largest infrastructures operator with 40 concessions in Europe and America; in the latter continent it has motorways in Mexico and Costa Rica.

For Global Vía this adjudication creates value for its shareholders and provides references in the operation and maintenance of toll motorways as a springboard for its consolidation in Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica and its future entry into the USA.