DF to invest more than US$1bn in water, infra works over 2yrs - Mexico

The Mexico City (DF) government will invest some 11.4bn pesos (US$1.03bn) in water and infrastructure works over the next two years, a source from the DF finance ministry confirmed to BNamericas.


The investment will have two sources: some 7.39bn pesos in money saved from the city refinancing its debt, and another 4bn pesos in bond emissions, local daily La Jornada quoted DF finance minister Mario Delgado as saying.

Debt refinancing will provide the city with 1.56bn pesos this year and another 5.83bn pesos in 2008, to be invested in works including the city's drainage system and public transport, said Delgado.

Of the 4bn pesos from the bond emissions, 32% will be set aside for works on the DF metro system, 21% for the city's Metrobús bus rapid transit system, 20% for waterworks and 27% for other works, said the finance minister.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard defined such areas as priorities during his electoral campaign, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous.

The finance ministry was charged by the mayor with finding areas where income could be generated to fund such works, and its deputy planning ministry was then given the responsibility of defining which works in these areas would have the highest social impact and overseeing them to ensure that they have the expected effects on city residents' quality of life, added the source.
The highest priority for Ebrard's government will be to improve the supply of water to the DF's eastern zone, followed by works to improve its drainage system, including its "Drenaje Profundo" rainwater drainage system, the source said.

This system was only designed for rainwater drainage, but has also been used to transport wastewater - containing chemicals such as methane-sulfuric gasses - that have caused the tunnel lining to deteriorate, previous reports indicated.

Works to improve the system include the construction of the Emisor Oriente rainwater drainage tunnel for the eastern zone of the city, the DF government previously announced on its website.
After this, improvements to the city's public transport system - namely Metrobús and the metro - are prioritized, said the finance ministry source.

Ebrard plans to install 10 new Metrobús lines by the end of his administration in 2012, and DF transport and highway department Setravi is looking to purchase 600-700 articulated and bi-articulated buses for the system, BNamericas reported previously.

In addition, construction of the new, 15km line 12 of the DF metro system will kick off in the second half of 2008, local press previously quoted Ebrard as saying.

The line will connect with a new suburban train line at the Buenavista station, as well as the new Eje 4 Sur bus line, said the mayor.