Brisa - Auto-estradas de Portugal
Encyclopedia
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
-based international transportation company. The group's largest business area is highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
management, in which it is the largest concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
aire in its home country. Founded in 1972, Brisa also has significant operations in countries including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Since 2000 Brisa's largest shareholder has been the investment company
Investment company
An investment company is a company whose main business is holding securities of other companies purely for investment purposes. The investment company invests money on behalf of its shareholders who in turn share in the profits and losses....
Grupo José de Mello
Grupo José de Mello
The José de Mello Group is an economic group that has a stable Portuguese shareholder base. It is one of Portugal's biggest corporate groups...
, which owns over 30% of its stock through various subsidiaries. The Spanish infrastructure company Abertis
Abertis
Abertis Infraestructuras, S.A. is a Spanish corporation. The company runs 6,713 kilometres of motorways in Europe and operates more than a dozen airports in cities including London, Stockholm and Orlando...
also holds around 15% of the firm. The company is listed on the Lisbon Stock Exchange
Euronext Lisbon
Euronext Lisbon is a stock exchange in Lisbon, Portugal. It belongs to the NYSE Euronext group, the first global stock exchange.Euronext Lisbon trades equities, public and private bonds, participation bonds, warrants, corporate warrants, investment trust units, and exchange traded funds...
and is a constituent of the benchmark PSI-20
PSI-20
The PSI-20 is a benchmark stock market index of companies that trade on Euronext Lisbon, the main stock exchange of Portugal. The index tracks the prices of the twenty listings with the largest market capitalisation and share turnover in the PSI Geral, the general stock market of the Lisbon exchange...
and Euronext 100
Euronext 100
The Euronext 100 Index is the blue chip index of the pan-European exchange, Euronext NV.It comprises the largest and most liquid stocks traded on Euronext. Each stock must trade more than 20 percent of its issued shares over the course of the rolling one year analysis period. The index is reviewed...
indices.
Portugal
In Portugal Brisa exclusively operates the following motorways with a concession lasting until 2035:- A1 - Auto-estrada do NorteA1 - Auto-estrada do NorteThe A1 is the principal motorway in Portugal. It connects Lisbon, the capital, to Porto, the country's second-largest city, and serves other important cities like Coimbra and Leiria. A1 is operated by Brisa - Auto-estradas de Portugal, S.A....
- A2 - Auto-estrada do SulA2 - Auto-estrada do SulThe A2 is a major motorway in Portugal. It connects Lisbon, the capital, to the Algarve, the country's southern-most mainland province. A2 was completed in 2002. It extends for 240 km. A2 is operated by Brisa - Auto-estradas de Portugal....
- A3 - Auto-estrada Porto/ValençaA3 (Portugal)A3 is a motorway in Portugal, connecting Valença and Porto via Braga. A3 is operated by Brisa - Auto-estradas de Portugal. It has a total length of 112 km and coincides with the European itinerary number 1....
- A4 - Auto-estrada Matosinhos/Amarante
- A5 - Auto-estrada da Costa do Estoril
- A6 - Auto-estrada Marateca/Caia
- A9 - CREL - Circular Regional Exterior de Lisboa
- A10 - Auto-estrada Bucelas/Carregado/IC3
- A12 - Auto-estrada Setúbal/Montijo
- A13 - Auto-estrada Almeirim/MaratecaA13 motorway (Portugal)The A13 motorway is a road in Portugal connecting Santarém to the southward turn of the A2....
- A14 - Auto-estrada Figueira da Foz/Coimbra Norte
Brisa also owns 50% of Auto-Estradas do Atlântico
Auto-Estradas do Atlântico
Auto-Estradas do Atlântico, Concessões Rodoviárias de Portugal, S.A., is a highway management concessionaire in Portugal.-Network:Auto-Estradas do Atlântico operates two highways:* A8 Auto-estrada do Oeste, from Lisbon to Leiria via Caldas da Rainha...
, operator of the A8 and A15 motorways until 2028; 70% of the Brisal concession, which is licensed to run the A17 road until 2034; and with a 45% stake heads the Douro Litoral consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
which will operate the A32, A41 and A43 motorways until 2034.
Two further tenders were awarded to consortia including Brisa in 2009. The firm leads the Auto-estradas do Baixo Tejo concession with a 30% stake, which includes construction, widening, operation and maintenance of motorways and Itinerários Complementares trunk roads in the Setúbal
Setúbal
Setúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
area. Brisa also holds 15% of the Litoral Oeste concession, which covers 112 km of new and existing road around Leiria
Leiria
Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
. Both contracts were awarded through to 2038.
Other major investments held by the company within Portugal include 60% of the Via Verde
Via Verde
thumb|right|Freeway lane sign in the Portuguese A6 freeway/motorway . The leftmost lane is for exclusive use by vehicles equipped with Via Verde tags.thumb|right|Via Verde lanes in the 25 April Bridge toll plaza, Almada....
electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
system, also used in car parks and for other purposes; 100% of roadside assistance firm Brisa Assistência Rodoviária; and 60% of Controlauto, a chain of outlets offering vehicle inspection
Vehicle inspection
Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of...
services.
The company has recently signalled its intent to diversify into other modes of transportation. In December 2009 a Brisa-led consortium was awarded a contract to construct the first stage of a high-speed rail link between Lisbon and Madrid
High-speed rail in Portugal
The government of Portugal plans to build a high-speed rail line from Lisbon to Madrid. The €7.8 billion plan, announced in February 2009, is part of an effort to stimulate the country's economy. The government argued that the plan would create 100,000 jobs...
by the Portuguese government, giving it a 40-year concession to operate the line within Portugal. Brisa, along with Mota-Engil
Mota-Engil
Mota-Engil is a Portuguese industrial conglomerate. Its principal activities include civil engineering and construction of infrastructure including bridges, dams, industrial buildings, schools, chimneys and roads; energy and steel works ; transport concessions and environment and services...
, also heads the Asterion consortium which intends to bid for control of the Portuguese airport authority ANA should it be privatised
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
by the government; and with it the right to construct and operate the proposed replacement for Lisbon's international airport in Alcochete
Alcochete Airport
New Lisbon Airport is the currently planned site for construction of a new Lisbon Airport, scheduled to replace or complement the current Portela Airport in the year 2017.-History:...
.
International
Northwest Parkway
The Northwest Parkway is an toll road running from the intersection of I-25 and E-470 to US 36 at 96th Street. Both termini are in Broomfield, Colorado, northwest of Denver. In combination with E-470 and SH 470 , the Northwest Parkway forms a partial beltway of approximately around the...
toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
near Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
since 2007. In 2007 the firm purchased 30% of Movenience, the electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
system used in the Western Scheldt Tunnel
Western Scheldt Tunnel
Western Scheldt Tunnel is a tunnel in The Netherlands on highway N62 under the Western Scheldt estuary between Ellewoutsdijk and Terneuzen. It is the longest tunnel for highway traffic in The Netherlands.-History:...
in the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
; this stake was increased to 40% in 2010.
Brisa's 16.3% holding in Brazilian peer Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias
Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias
CCR - Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias is a holding company with interests in private interstate highway concessions in Brazil...
(CCR) was sold in June 2010.