Colombia: more money for Toyo Tunnel Project

The Toyo Tunnel Project – the Guillermo Gaviria Echeverri Tunnel Project - covers 18.3km including new roads and is under construction by Consorcio Antioquia al Mar.
By David Arminas April 4, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
The 9.7km-long Toyo Tunnel is the longest in Colombia and running deepest at 900m (image courtesy Gobernacion de Antioquia/Government of Antioquia)

The Colombian government has committed nearly US$144 million to complete the Toyo Tunnel Project in the northwest department of Antioquia.

With a population of around six million, Antioquia is one of the 32 national departments and is located in the central northwest part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous much of which is part of the Andes mountain range.

The Toyo Tunnel Project – also called the Guillermo Gaviria Echeverri Tunnel Project- covers 18.3km connecting the municipalities of Cañasgordas and Giraldo. It includes bridges and the 9.7km-long Toyo Tunnel, the longest in Colombia and running deepest at 900m. It is also is one of many in Colombia’s “fourth-generation (4G) highway network” projects to improve connections nationally.

The Consorcio Antioquia al Mar, a consortium, was awarded the 10-year construction contract in 2015, according to BN Americas, a business intelligence platform that provides information and data solutions to project owners, contractors, suppliers and financial services firms. Consorcio Antioquia al Mar consists of infrastructure contractors Colombiana de Infraestructuras, Carlos Alberto Solarte and CASS Constructores as well as tunnelling civil engineering specialist Estyma Estudios y Manejos

BN Americas  also notes that the agreement between the companies gives Colombiana de Infraestructuras, a subsidiary of Spanish company FCC, 40% ownership and a 20% ownership each for Carlos Alberto Solarte, Estyma Estudios y Manejos and CASS Constructores.

Engineering consultancy WSP worked on final studies and designs in Phase III for Section No. 1 for the consortium. Its work included a transportation study, a soil study for the design of bridge foundations and other retaining structures, a slope stability and stabilisation study, geotechnical study and pavement design, hydraulics analysis and tunnel study and designs.

The consortium also worked with Swedish equipment maker Epiroc for drilling and ventilation strategies. Epiroc's Boomer XE3C and Boomer E2C jumbos with ABC Total Navigation systems have excavated around 1.4 million cubic meters of soil.

Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Colombia: Toyo Tunnel award to be made in September
    July 15, 2015
    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
    Read More
  • ANI transfers operation of Guillermo Gaviria Correa to Mar 1 Devimar
    July 6, 2016
    The Colombian department of Antioquia has transferred operation of the Guillermo Gaviria Correa road connection to the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI). ANI will, in turn, cede the concession to the Mar 1 Devimar consortium. The road, named after the assassinated governor of Antioquia, runs between the municipalities of Medellin and San Jerónimo and connects Medellin to the Uraba Gulf, part of the Caribbean Sea. Gaviria, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was kidnapped by guerrillas and held captive for
    Read More
  • US$443 million Medellin tunnel
    July 31, 2024
    A US$443 million road tunnel is planned for Medellin.
    Read More
  • Two consortia bid for US$924.84mn Colombia highway concession
    April 17, 2014
    Two consortia have bid for Colombia's US$924.84 million (COP 1.79 trillion) Conexión Pacífico 1 highway concession, the first project under the Autopistas para la Prosperidad program and part of the country's fourth generation (4G) of concessions. There were 10 prequalified consortia and the two to submit bids were Autopista Conexión Pacífico I, comprised of local firm Estudios y Proyectos del Sol (Episol) and Spain's Iridium, and Infraestructura Vial de Colombia, comprised of Colombian firms Carlos Albe
    Read More

Highlighted Content