Toll Road, Airport Investments Set to Take Off

The highway bill signed last month by President Obama will do more than repair the nation’s crumbling bridges and tunnels. It will spur private infrastructure spending as well, said Brett Himbury, CEO of IFM Investors. 'It tells the private sector that there is a desire to match up the public financing with the private funding, so that $300 billion transportation bill is a very encouraging step,' said Himbury. Melbourne Australia-based IFM Investors is owned by 30 pension funds and is deeply tied to the specific investment requirements of pension funds and their trustees. IFM has more than $44.1 billion in assets under management with $16 billion of that amount dedicated to infrastructure, largely in energy, transportation and utilities. The US market for infrastructure debt is approximately a $40 billion to $50 billion a year market right now, according to Himbury. The American Society of Civil Engineers, in its most recent report, outlined that investment to the tune of $3.6 trillion in infrastructure was needed by 2020.