LEI Leighton Fpo

   By Robb M. Stewart 
 

MELBOURNE, Australia--Construction firm Leighton Holdings Ltd. (LEI.AU) and venture partner Rizzani de Eccher Australia have been selected to design and build a widened highway in Sydney.

Leighton, which is majority owned by Germany's Hochtief AG (HOT.XE), said its share of the work to upgrade a 7.5-kilometer stretch of the M4 highway is worth about 150 million Australian dollars (US$126 million).

The project involves widening the M4 from three to four lanes in each direction and is part of the first stage of the WestConnex, one of Australia's biggest urban road projects. Work is scheduled to start in early 2015 and the widened stretch of road is due to open in 2017, Leighton said.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

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