Skip to main content

Colombian tunnel project progress

A key Colombian tunnel project is seeing progress.
By MJ Woof August 31, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Progress is being seen in Colombia for the Tunel de Occidente project - image © courtesy of Wollertz, Dreamstime.com

An important road tunnel project in Colombia is seeing progress being achieved. Driving work for the second tube of the Tunel de Occidente project has been completed, some two months ahead of schedule.

Around 497,400m3 of material has been removed from the tunnel drives since excavation commenced in September 2018. The Tunel de Occidente features twin parallel tubes, each with a length of 4.6km. The tunnel forms part of the Autopista al Mar 1 road project, linking Medellin with Santa Fe.

The tunnel is being built by the concessionaire Desarrollo Vial al Mar (Devimar).

Related Content

  • Helsinki's tunnel project
    May 9, 2012
    A novel approach to utilities installation will lengthen the life of Helsinki's streets, reports Mike Woof. A major utilities project in Finnish capital Helsinki will offer huge benefits for the city's streets and traffic flow rates in years to come. A new tunnel system is being excavated under Helsinki for the power company Helsingin Energia, although this will be co-owned by the city. Called the Common Utility Tunnel (Meilahti-Pasilak-Käpylä LU2), the excavations form an extensive network spreading out un
  • €900 million German Autobahn project
    July 21, 2025
    Planning is underway for a €900 million German Autobahn project.
  • Consortium Via al Puerto to finish Colombia’s Buga-Buevantura road
    May 24, 2016
    Colombia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has approved Consorcio Estructura Plural Via al Puerto to build the remaining 26.5km of the Buga-Buenaventura dual carriageway. Construction costs will be just under US$358 million with another $645 million likely needed to maintain and operate the public-private partnership road for 30 years. Works include construction of two tunnels, 12 bridges, 7.5km of cycle lanes, as well as maintenance of 111km of the main road, according to a report by El Pais new
  • Work underway on key New Zealand tunnel
    August 6, 2012
    Preliminary works are now underway on a crucial link in the new road connections for New Zealand city Auckland. A 30m deep trench is being excavated that will form the start point for the tunnel boring machine (TBM) drive. The 2.4km long, twin tube tunnels will cost some US$1.13 billion (NZ$1.4 billion) to construct and will be driven using the TBM. The project team plans to commence the TBM drive in 2013.