ROADIS, a leading multinational developer, operator and manager of highway concessions, has reached an agreement to acquire stakes in Auto Estradas do Atlantico (AEA) and Auto Estradas do Litoral Oeste (AELO).
The acquisition marks ROADIS‘ entry into Portugal, a market with a mature andestablished concession framework that is well known to ROADIS‘ senior management team, due to their past experience in theregion. The acquisition of the stakes in AEA and AELO increases ROADIS‘ exposure to developed markets, providing enhanced diversification to the portfolio. Following closure of thetransaction, ROADIS‘ portfolio willinclude 10 road concessions situatedin six countries across three continents.
“These acquisitions form an important part of our growth strategy,” said José Antonio Labarra, CEO of ROADIS. “They respond to our interest in expanding the company’s sphere of operation indeveloped countries and complement our presence in emerging markets.”
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018 and is subject tocustomary regulatory approvals.
ABOUT AEA
AEA is comprised of two toll highways, the A8and the A15, which span across anoverall length of 170 kilometres.The A8 is a key highway in Portugal‘s economic corridor between Lisbon and Porto, acting primarily as amain artery for commuters travelling to Lisbon from the surrounding suburbanneighbourhoods. The A15 links thetowns of Caldas de Rainha and Santarem, acting as a complementary axis to thenorth-south routes. The concession contract commenced in 1998 and expires in2028. Within the last three years, traffic has increased by more than eightpercent on AEA.
ABOUT AELO
AELO operates under anavailability based payment framework and spans a total 112 kilometres from Portugal‘swest coast to its interior. It is comprised of a series of highways thatprovide a connection between the main north-to-south motorways including the A1, A8 and A17 in the Leiriaregion, one of Portugal‘s mostimportant tourist regions. The concession contract commenced in 2013 and expiresin 2039.