by Victoria Thieberger, Reuters

SYDNEY, July 19 - Australia's Macquarie Infrastructure Group (MIG.AX) said on Thursday it had teamed up with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim for a joint bid to lease a package of four toll roads in Mexico.

The roads are to be leased from Fideicomiso de Apoyo al Rescate de Autopistas Concesionadas, a trust fund owned by the Mexican government.

Slim, the world's third richest man, told Reuters in March his infrastructure firm IDEAL, Impulsora del Desarollo de America Latina, was interested in bidding in tenders for the highway concessions.

Macquarie Infrastructure said the bid is structured as a 60:40 partnership between IDEAL and MIG, and a preferred bidder is expected to be announced in early August. Mexico's government has said it expects to receive close to $25 billion from selling highway concessions. It will hand out 30-year concessions to build and operate close to 1,500 km (900 miles) of highways.

Four concessions will be auctioned this year.

The Australian Financial Review has reported the concessions have also attracted interest from Goldman Sachs, Spanish infrastructure company Abertis (ABE.BC), and Portuguese company Brisa (BRI.LS).

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