NCC selected for Nicaraguan order worth appr SEK 200 million

NCC selected for Nicaraguan order worth appr SEK 200 million NCC has been commissioned to reconstruct 44 kilometers of highway and construct/restore a total of six bridges in northern Nicaragua. The country's infrastructure was severely damaged by the torrential rain that resulted from Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. The order is worth appr SEK 200 million and is mainly being financed by the Swedish foreign aid agency Sida (Swedish International Development Authority). This project is part of a three-year assistance effort by Sida in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, which will total SEK 1.4 billion. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by MTI (Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Republica de Nicaragua) and the actual contract for the project will be signed shortly in Nicaragua. "We're very pleased to have been entrusted with this assignment by Sida," says Per Nielsen, president of NCC International. "NCC already has experience of projects in the region, such as the construction of a hydropower plant in Costa Rica. The assignment in Nicaragua will help us to strengthen our foothold in Central America and will improve our opportunities to compete for new projects in the region." The project comprises the construction and repair of two-lane bridges, which are up to 135-meters long, and the restoration/upgrading of a 44-kilometer- long and 9-meter-wide highway section. This section, which is part of the Pan American Highway, the main arterial route in Central America, is situated in northern Nicaragua, towards the border with Honduras. "The fact that we're already on site in Central America will enable us to start work quickly," Per Nielsen continues. "This is made particularly important by the fact that the rain period is during June-October and a large proportion of the work involved, especially foundation engineering of the bridges, must be completed during the preceding dry period." Approximately 15 Swedes and a large number of Nicaraguan administrative employees and skilled workers will be engaged in the project during the two- year construction period. For further information, please contact: Per Nielsen, NCC International (Tel: +46-8-655 21 53) or Ulf Forsberg, NCC International, (Tel: +46-8-655 23 22). ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/08/19991208BIT00070/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/08/19991208BIT00070/bit0002.pdf