Skip to main content

Colombian highway projects under development

A finance package has been secured in Colombia for the Autopista al Mar 1 highway project. A loan worth close to US$206 million is being provided by the national development bank, Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN). The highway forms part of Colombia’s 4G infrastructure development plan and the finance package will be provided in three separate tranches. The construction work is being carried out by a consortium comprising Strabag, Concay and Sacyr Concesiones. The project will upgrade the 71km
June 29, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

A finance package has been secured in Colombia for the Autopista al Mar 1 highway project. A loan worth close to US$206 million is being provided by the national development bank, Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN). The highway forms part of Colombia’s 4G infrastructure development plan and the finance package will be provided in three separate tranches.

The construction work is being carried out by a consortium comprising Strabag, Concay and Sacyr Concesiones. The project will upgrade the 71km existing route connecting Santa Fe in Antioquia and Bolombolo. The work also includes widening the 43km route between Medellin and Santa Fe, in Antioquia Department. Other key portions of the project include the construction of the 4.6km Tunel de Occidente as well as building no less than 39 bridges.

Meanwhile work to build the Toyo Tunnel (Tunel del Toyo) in Antioquia Department is now around 64% complete. The tunnel measures 9.8km long and should be ready for traffic by 2022. The link is being built bya consortium comprising FCC Construction, Cass Builders and Company, Carlos Alberto Solarte and Estyma Studies and Handling. The tunnel route runs underneath the mountains of western Antioquia, an area that is difficult to access at present due to its challenging topography. Construction of the route will improve transport to the port of Uraba, located some 80km to the north of the city of Medellin. Work is also underway on the nearby Tunel 18, a 258m tunnel section located close to Canasgordas, as well as the Puente 13 bridge and a number of access roads

However there are questions surrounding the highway widening project  for the Bogota-Girardot route. A preliminary investigation is being carried out into the construction partnership handling the $586.3 million road widening work along a 154km stretch of the highway connecting the capital Bogota with Girardot. The investigation is being carried out by the official the industry and trade watchdog (SIC), focussing on the tender process.

Related Content

  • Colombia traffic congestion concern
    January 8, 2019
    Concern has been expressed in Colombia at potential traffic congestion around the new Tunel de Oriente in Antioquia. Existing roads in Baltimore in Medellin and Sajonia in Rionegro are thought to face potential traffic issues once the tunnel opens, as they have not yet been upgraded. The authorities in Rio negro have launched plans to upgrade 29km of link roads for the tunnel. However further works will be required. Some new bridges will also be constructed to help traffic flow. Meanwhile work is starting
  • Strong interest for major highway concessions in Colombia
    June 6, 2013
    Interest is said to be strong for the Pacífico 1, Pacífico 2 and Pacífico 3 highway concession projects in Colombia. At present the country’s national infrastructure agency, ANI, has 56 expressions of interest for the three highway concessions in Antioquia Department. The projects feature a total estimated investment of US$2.16 billion.
  • Colombia: New decree allows pension funds to finance 4G projects
    June 25, 2015
    Columbian president Juan Manuel Santos Colombia has said pension fund money could help finance the country’s ambitious 4G motorway projects. Columbia has 35 road projects underway costing more than US$11.7 billion, including the first two 4G tender waves with six public-private partnerships that have already been approved. During a banking convention held in the coastal city of Cartagena in mid-June, Banco Davivienda president Efrain Forero lending capacity studies have been completed for 4GH projects
  • Colombia contract for construction consortium
    December 15, 2016
    Construction work to widen the Autopista Norte highway in Colombia is being handled by the Accenorte consortium. The work involves widening a 4.2km stretch of the highway, which lies to the north of Colombia’s capital Bogota. The project is worth close to US$157 million, with the majority of the funding being delivered by the consortium partners and the remainder from a Colombian Bank. The consortium is led by Mincivil with a 57.43% stake. It also includes Universal with a 16.7% share, Castro Tcherassi with