A major highway concession package has been awarded in Brazil. The deal is for the Rio-Governador Valadares route linking Rio de Janeiro with Minas Gerais. The road firm Ecorodovias will now handle the 30-year concession.The package covers a total of 730km of roads. An estimated US$2.3 billion will have to be spent on the road network for necessary improvement works. Expected works include widening much of the existing route, adding more lanes and building facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.