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Colombia: Toyo Tunnel award to be made in September

The contract award for Columbia’s 9.75km Toyo Tunnel project will be made on September 28, according to Columbian media. The tunnel, costing almost US$760, will be part of a new 39km road between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Canasgordas. World Highways reported in January that the central government will contribute $216 million towards the project, the regional government of Antioquia department will contribute $337 million and the Medellin city government will pitch in with $212 million. Columbia’s N
July 15, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The contract award for Columbia’s 9.75km Toyo Tunnel project will be made on September 28, according to Columbian media.

The tunnel, costing almost US$760, will be part of a new 39km road between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Canasgordas.

3260 World Highways reported in January that the central government will contribute $216 million towards the project, the regional government of Antioquia department will contribute $337 million and the Medellin city government will pitch in with $212 million.

Columbia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) will help finance construction of the tunnel in Antioquia, one of the country’s 32 departments.

Antioquia is in the northwest of the Columbia and has a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea, but most of department is mountainous. Antioquia's capital city Medellín has a population of around 2.5 million and is the second largest city in the country after Bogata with a population 7 million.

Projects such as the Toyo Tunnel are part of the government’s Fourth Generation (4G) of the Road Concessions Programme.

4G involves 40 projects that will see around 8,000km of new roads with an investment of $25 billion over seven years. Luis Fernando Andrade Moreno, president of ANI, has said contracts will be let under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach.

Earlier this month, ANI awarded the SAC 4G consortium a US$898 million contract to design, build, finance and operate another project in Antioquia, the 176 km Autopista al Mar 1 motorway over 25 years.

The consortium comprises Austrian construction group 945 Strabag (37.5%), Spain’s Sacyr (37.5%) and Concay of Colombia (25%).

The road will link Medellín with the cities of San Jerónimo and Santa Fe de Antioquia before continuing to Bolombolo. It includes involves the completion of 75km of new motorway, the modernisation of a 65km section and the construction of numerous bridges and tunnels.

Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 and completion is scheduled within five years. In addition to partial revenues in the form of hard toll collections, the consortium will receive annual payments from ANI for its services.

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