Projects planned for Colombia’s highway connections

From Colombia comes news of a US$13.4 billion funding package that will be directed towards the construction of nine highway projects. This package of works includes construction and concessions for a series of highways, which will be carried out under the PPP model. These include the Conexión Norte, Autopista al Río Magdalena 1, Autopista al Río Magdalena 2, Autopista al Mar 1 and Autopista al Mar 2. They also include the Autopista Conexión Pacífico 1, Autopista Conexión Pacífico 2 and Autopista Conexión Pacífico 3. The report by Business News Americas says that Colombia’s Government however is providing funding for the 4868 Toyo tunnel. The nine projects form part of Colombia’s Autopistas para la Prosperidad programme, which involves the construction of 838km of two-lane highways, 63km of bridges and 90km of tunnels. The concession for the 146km, $500 million Conexión Norte project in northwest Colombia should be awarded in the first quarter. Colombia’snational infrastructure agency, ANI, will announce the awards for tenders for the Conexión Pacífico 1, Río Magdalena 2 and Conexión Pacífico 3 projects in the second quarter of 2014. These projects will be worth over $2.5 billion in all. The tenders for the $2.66 billion Río Magdalena 1, Autopista al Mar 1 and Autopista al Mar 2 projects should be awarded in the third quarter of 2014. In all, Colombia has plans for around 25 highway projects in 2014 under a $21 billion plan. Companies bidding include Spanish firms 3959 Sacyr, 980 OHL, 930 Cintra and 2717 Ferrovial, 5177 Vinci from France, Construtora 1339 Andrade Gutierrez and 1305 Odebrecht from Brazil, and Graña y Montero from Peru.