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_I assume ご連絡申しあげます and ご連絡を申しあげます have the same meaning, but differ in style.
I use them interchangeably below. This question is not about existence of を
unless it was relevant to understanding the phrase._

Having received an email ending with announcement of future contact in the
form of 「ご連絡を申し上げます」 I am wondering how this phrase is built up, so that it is
accepted.

My main point of confusion is using the verb 申し上げる a humble form of "to talk",
"to say", "to express" with a noun 連絡 meaning "connection", "contact",
"communication". Using both words as predicate and subject makes no sense in
English and probably most Indo-European languages (while the same words have
equivalent usage patterns in many other combinations).

To help understand readers, what is my concern, I have following hypotheses:

1) Is 連絡 a _thing_ that you can _say_ or _express_ like お礼を申し上げます／お礼を言います? Can
I simplify (keigo aside) it to 連絡を言います? (I can't find any proof in
dictionaries it works this way)

2) Maybe as suggested
[here](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1110154086) or
[here](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/1256006.html) 申し上げます preceded by お〜/ご〜
works like 致します, but how universal would it be? Can I say お待たせを申し上げます?

3) If お待たせ example does not sound strange, maybe the construction is some kind
of a contraction of (お待たせいたしました)を申し上げます being "I would like to express - sorry
to keep you waiting".

4) Or maybe it is just a set phrase
[ご連絡申しあげます](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%94%E9%80%A3%E7%B5%A1%E7%94%B3%E3%81%97%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%92%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99)
coming from custom or tradition?
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etymology politeness business-japanese
Why is the phrase ご連絡申しあげます linguistially correct?
ご連絡申し上げる is a humble form of 連絡する while ご連絡を申し上げる (a little awkward phrase) is
two words of ご連絡 and 申し上げる.
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申し上げる has two different meanings. The first one is "to say" in a humble form,
the second is "to do" also in a humble form. Here is an excerpt from a
dictionary regarding the latter one:

>
> [もうし‐あ・げる〔まうし‐〕【申（し）上げる】](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/218494/m0u/%E7%94%B3%E3%81%97%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%92%E3%82%8B/)  
>  「お」や「御 (ご)
> 」の付いた自分の行為を表す体言に付けて、その行為の対象を敬う。…してさしあげる。「お答え―・げます」「御相談―・げたく参上致しました」

Although the compound verb 申し上げる contains a 申す part related to "speaking" it
is not treated literally in contemporary Japanese. 申し上げる in the 2nd meaning is
used as a [light verb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_verb)
([補助動詞](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A3%9C%E5%8A%A9%E5%8B%95%E8%A9%9E))
expressing the utmost level of politeness.

So from your hypotheses 1-4, the second one is correct.

You can use お〜／ご〜申し上げます in different phrases, although I think it sounds too
polite to be used often. Maybe its similar to the language used in some
diplomatic documents in English - if used in a daily life, they might sound
strange.

It doesn't mean this pattern is limited to official documents, but I feel it
would be too polite for example to use towards a customer in a restaurant or a
shop. In [this article](http://www.web-nihongo.com/wn/j_manner/06.html/) you
can find a comparison of the levels of politeness with the 申し上げる being the
most respectful.

You can say お待たせ申し上げました. It is more polite than お待たせいたしました. Here you can find
[minutes from a
meeting](http://www.mof.go.jp/about_mof/councils/fiscal_system_council/sub-
of_fiscal_system/local_hearing/proceedings/kou210407.htm) of a certain council
in the Ministry of Finance opening with the sentence
「どうも大変お待たせ申し上げまして、申しわけございません。」

Here you can find a [transcript of
proceedings](http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/155/0020/15511130020002.pdf)
(PDF) from the Diet containing several examples of this pattern:
「お待たせを申し上げまして、大変に失礼をいたしました」「お願い申し上げます」「お願いを申し上げ、ごあいさつといたします」「ごあいさつを申し上げます」
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