Move to establish north-east Italy motorway construction hub

Several leading Italian and international funds and industrial groups are reportedly looking into the feasibility of uniting all the major motorway construction projects in the north-east of Italy.

The aim of the scheme would be to buy into the capital of one of the holdings and then work to buy stakes in the other firms, which are currently mostly under state control. The conglomeration of the three major firms Serravalle, Autostrada Serenissima and Autovie Venete, to be carried out over five years, would give the project US$ 3.89 billion in capital. This would then be boosted by an additional $ 12.93 billion from project financing sources, while other firms such as Autobrennero and Pedemontana Veneta could also be added to the mix.

The companies currently thought to be involved in the plan are funds Equinox and F2i; civil engineering groups Vinci and Gavio; and bank Intesa Sanpaolo. Ultimately, the new hub could be floated on the stock exchange with the support of a rock-solid business plan.