MADRID, July 30 (Reuters) - Spanish construction giant

Ferrovial's first-half profit nearly quadrupled as its toll

highway business in the United States and Canada continued to

deliver strong results, the company said on Tuesday.

Net income reached 414 million euros ($448 million), up

from 114 million euros reported a year ago, far above the

average of analysts' expectations of 208 million euros.

The company that builds and manages motorways and airports

concessions reported a 7.5% increase in revenues to 4.27 billion

euros in the first half, also above the 4.1 billion euros

forecast by analysts polled by LSEG.

CEO Ignacio Madridejos attributed the results to strong

returns from U.S. express lanes, also highlighting increasing

traffic levels at its airports, including London's Heathrow, in

which Ferrovial holds a large stake.

Revenues in the toll business rose 25.2% to 595 million

euros, driven by solid growth in North America, the company

said.

Construction revenues rose almost 5% to 3.37 billion euros

and the division ended June with a record order book worth

nearly 16 billion, 49% of that amount in the United States and

22% in Poland.

Ferrovial made its Nasdaq debut in May in a bid to boost its

profile and attract more investors from the U.S. market, where

it is seeking to expand its contracts in the southeast states

and also around New York. The company plans to make 71% of its

total investments for 2024 in this country.

($1 = 0.9248 euros)