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

  • Paraguay’s key road widening works commencing
    April 17, 2019
    Widening work is planned for Route 2 and Route 7 in Paraguay. These highway stretches play important transport roles for the country, linking with capital Asuncion and also connecting the Eastern and Western borders of the country with neighbouring Argentina and Brazil. Construction work is due to commence in mid-2019, although the complete financing package for this PPP project has yet to be finalised. Funding of around US$500 million will be needed for the work, with the project being Paraguay’s first PPP
  • Costs climb for constructing Mexican tunnel
    August 20, 2014
    Climbing costs are afflicting the construction of the key Coatzacoalcos tunnel connection in Mexico. Concesionaria Tunel de Coatzacoalcos is the firm handling the construction and concession for the Coatzacoalcos immersed tunnel. The company claims that costs have climbed 150%, from US$153.23-$383.1 million. Concesionaria Tunel de Coatzacoalcos is controlled by Spanish construction firm FCC Construcciones and says that the climbing costs are caused by delays due to the climate, problems purchasing land and
  • Albanian road investment
    May 15, 2012
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing major funding in Albania’s road network. A loan worth €53 million will help pay for the construction of the new Fier and Vlore bypasses. This loan will aid further development of the Albanian road network and boosting economic integration in the country by co-financing the construction of the two bypass roads, located in south-western Albania. The EBRD loan is structured in two tranches and will be used by the Albanian Road Authority t
  • Colombian highway tenders due to open
    February 26, 2014
    The National Infrastructure Agency of Colombia aims to award tenders for 30 of its key 4G highway projects during 2014. In all the 4G programme includes 40 highway projects. Of these projects, the tenders for 10 are close to being opened. The first of the projects were going to be put to tender early in February 2014 but the banks involved asked for more time. The Colombian society of engineers (SCI) will have to decide the best route for a 21km section of the Ruta del Sol highway. The original design took