Plan to complete Colombian tunnel project

In Colombia plans are underway to try and revive the project to construct the La Linea tunnel. The project has been beset with problems since work commenced. Problems have included insufficient funding, unexpectedly poor ground conditions and some firms involved having the wrong kind of insurance. The Segundo Centenario consortium is building the La Linea tunnel and is keen for this to continue. The new plan involves the incorporation of local firm Construcciones e Inversiones Beta, which would acquire a 40
December 1, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
In Colombia plans are underway to try and revive the project to construct the La Linea tunnel. The project has been beset with problems since work commenced. Problems have included insufficient funding, unexpectedly poor ground conditions and some firms involved having the wrong kind of insurance. The Segundo Centenario consortium is building the La Linea tunnel and is keen for this to continue. The new plan involves the incorporation of local firm Construcciones e Inversiones Beta, which would acquire a 40% stake in this venture and deliver more capital as required. There are also plans to bring in two new strategic partners, the cement firms Cementos Argos and 3016 Cemex. These companies could offer credit lines for the materials such as cement, concrete and steel to help construct the link. In addition, construction firm Carlos Collins, which is part of the current Segundo Centenario consortium, could transfer funds from the Bogota-Girardot project, in which it also has a stake, into Tunel de la Linea. The consortium has asked for 13 months to complete work on the tunnel, which was originally planned to have opened by November 2014. The investment needed to complete the project has been estimated at US$60 million.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Cost rises again for Columbia’s unfinished La Linea tunnel
    February 3, 2015
    Columbia’s transport minister has said it will take nearly US$168 million and more than two years to finish the controversial La Linea tunnel. Natalia Abello Vives said the government has a “plan B” to finish the 8.65km tunnel, which, as World Highways reported in May, has less than a kilometre remaining to be constructed. It was originally scheduled to be open by last November. The La Linea tunnel project, or Segundo Centenario tunnel, crosses the central mountain range and forms part of the Bogota-B
    Read More
  • Solution found for Colombian tunnel project?
    March 12, 2015
    A solution seems to have been found for Colombia’s long-running La Linea Tunnel project. Work has been delayed on the tunnel for a number of reasons and on a number of occasions, most recently due to funding issues. But previous delays were due to such diverse causes as technical challenges posed by the difficult conditions and a lack of suitable insurance cover. The Colombian Government has come to an agreement with the Segundo Centenario consortium building the tunnel that will see construction activity r
    Read More
  • Colombia’s La Linea Tunnel will be completed
    September 16, 2015
    Colombia's national road institute (Invias) has said that the La Linea tunnel project will open to traffic in 2017. The project has been delayed on several occasions and due to a variety of reasons, presenting a luckless and lengthy tale of woe for Colombia’s transport ministry. Early in its lifetime the project was held back by unexpected geological issues arising from more challenging ground conditions than had been initially realised. The project was also delayed by insurance problems for some of the fir
    Read More
  • Colombia’s delayed La Linea Tunnel and tertiary road development programme seeing progress
    July 6, 2017
    Progress is now being seen in Colombia with regard to key tunnel and road projects. A consortium comprising Conconcreto and CSS Constructores is to complete the 12% of work still needed to finish the La Linea Tunnel project.
    Read More

Highlighted Content