Spain's OHL wins bid to run 5 Brazilian toll roads

SAO PAULO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Spanish construction company OHL (OHL.MC: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) won the right on Tuesday to run five toll roads in Brazil, betting expansion in Latin America's largest economy will fuel a surge in highway traffic.

The company's Brazilian unit, OHL Brasil (OHLB3.SA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), won bids for highways, including two linking the country's industrial heartland of Sao Paulo to Belo Horizonte and Curitiba. The other bids were for roads in populous states, including Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul.

"Given that the (economic) conditions in the country have improved, we think GDP will grow and, hence, traffic volume will expand," said Jose Carlos de Oliveira, president of OHL Brasil.

OHL bought five of seven road concessions on sale that were part of a government program seeking nearly 20 billion reais

($11.09 billion) in investments over the 25 years of the contracts. The other two roads went to Brazilian group BRVias and to Spain's Acciona (ANA.MC: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

($1=1.803 Brazilian reais)

(Reporting by Cesar Bianconi and Sergio Spagnuolo)

((Writing by Elzio Barreto; Editing by Andre Grenon; Reuters Messaging: elzio.barreto.reuters.com@reuters.net +55 11 5644-7725)) Keywords: BRAZIL OHL/ROADS

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