Colombia’s tunnel of woe faces further setback

The troubled tunnel construction project in Colombia to build the La Linea link has faced yet a further setback in its long tale of woe. The tender for the completion of the final 12% of the tunnel project has not managed to attract any interest from contractors. The budget for this work is an estimated US$77 million. A new tender process is being launched, with a submission deadline of 6th June 2017 and planned winner announcement on 4th July 2017. The contractor that had been building the tunnel failed to
May 19, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The troubled tunnel construction project in Colombia to build the La Linea link has faced yet a further setback in its long tale of woe. The tender for the completion of the final 12% of the tunnel project has not managed to attract any interest from contractors. The budget for this work is an estimated US$77 million. A new tender process is being launched, with a submission deadline of 6th June 2017 and planned winner announcement on 4th July 2017. The contractor that had been building the tunnel failed to meet the necessary completion deadline and was involved in a dispute with Colombia's National Road Institute (2812 Invias), resulting in the firm losing the contract. However the project has been delayed previously on many occasions and for many reasons, including having the wrong kind of insurance cover for the work and due to more challenging than anticipated geological conditions. Construction commenced in 2004 with the breakthrough occurring in 2008, while the tunnel was originally planned for completion in mid-2016 but will not be ready for use until 2018.


When the tunnel is complete it will connect Calarcá, Quindío and Cajamarca and provide a much safer and faster transport link than the present route over a mountain pass. Travel speeds are low along the existing route, which features several sharp curves and has an unenviable record for crashes. The 8.6km tunnel will provide a new connection for the National Route 40 highway joining Bogotá with Cali as well as the port of Buenaventura. The tunnel runs underneath the Cordillera Central range, with its western portal at an altitude of 2,420m and the eastern at 2,505m.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Slovakia’s D1 highway project underway
    August 11, 2022
    Work on Slovakia’s D1 highway project is underway.
    Read More
  • Colombia’s Toyo Tunnel project underway
    September 14, 2018
    Construction is ongoing for Colombia’s Toyo tunnel project in Antioquia. The tunnel is located between Giraldo and Canasgordas and some 120km from Medellin. The tunnel should open to traffic in 2024 if the project sticks to its planned schedule. The main tunnel section will measure some 9.85km-long although the project involves drilling side tunnels and emergency areas. The work is costing US$588.4 million.
    Read More
  • Bolivia’s new highway
    October 10, 2017
    Bolivia’s new highway will provide better access into mountain areas – Mauro Nogarin writes At the beginning of 2015, work began on the construction and paving for the Tupiza - Atocha - Uyuni highway project. The route is located in Bolivia’s Potosí department: it is 189m in length and forms part of the Southwest Basic Road Network (RVF) of Bolivia. The completion of this important route is requiring funding worth US$150 million, of which 72% is being delivered through loans from the European Investment
    Read More
  • Bolivia’s new highway
    October 10, 2017
    Bolivia’s new highway will provide better access into mountain areas – Mauro Nogarin writes At the beginning of 2015, work began on the construction and paving for the Tupiza - Atocha - Uyuni highway project. The route is located in Bolivia’s Potosí department: it is 189m in length and forms part of the Southwest Basic Road Network (RVF) of Bolivia.
    Read More

Highlighted Content