Skip to main content

Columbia kick-starts Antioquia project with Toyo tunnel financing

Columbia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) will help finance construction of the Toyo tunnel in Antioquia. The tunnel, nearly 10km-long and costing almost US$760, will be part of a new 39km road between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Canasgordas. The central government will contribute $216 million towards the project, the regional government of Antioquia will contribute $337 million and the Medellin government will pitch in with $212 million.
January 6, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Columbia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) will help finance construction of the Toyo tunnel in Antioquia.

The tunnel, nearly 10km-long and costing almost US$760, will be part of a new 39km road between Santa Fe de Antioquia and Canasgordas.

The central government will contribute $216 million towards the project, the regional government of Antioquia will contribute $337 million and the Medellin government will pitch in with $212 million.

The government will award the construction contract later this year.

Columbia has been struggling with road infrastructure investment that has resulted in a backlog of maintenance. Projects such as the Toyo tunnel are part of the government’s Fourth Generation (4G) of the Road Concessions Program.

4G involves 40 projects to build around 8,000km of roads with an investment of $25 billion over seven years. Luis Fernando Andrade Moreno, president of ANI, has said contracts will be let under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach.

Moreno, writing in the British-based business publication World Finance in October 2013, said average road travel time will be reduced by up to 30% and transportation costs should drop by 15-20%. Columbia’s economic growth should be boosted from around 4.6% to 5.3% in the long term.
 
To increase foreign investment for infrastructure, the government is pushing through a PPP Law and created the Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional – a state development bank.

The PPP Law establishes minimum capital requirements and that construction be financed by the PPP sponsor which must demonstrate the financial resources to carry out the work. This could be secured through issuance of private risk capital bonds for placement among institutional investors, private capital funds and pension funds.

Moreno also said laws are also being created to regulate land purchases, streamline conflict resolution and to establish recognised environmental study processes.

Related Content

  • Colombia’s massive highway programme is moving forward
    June 13, 2017
    Colombia is pushing ahead with its 4G road development programme. Progress is being made with the construction of the Girardot-Honda-Puerto Salgar road connection, which is expected to cost US$518.6 million and is around 37% complete.
  • 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
  • Investing in East Africa's road sector to boost economic development
    April 14, 2020
    Investments in East Africa’s road sector are helping drive economic development as well as political stability
  • David Barwell suggests six steps for closing the UK funding gap
    January 11, 2019
    Six steps for closing the UK funding gap Plenty of private money is seeking UK investment opportunities. The government and the infrastructure sector in general must make projects more attractive, writes David Barwell* It is widely acknowledged that the UK faces mounting economic, environmental and social problems if the nation's infrastructure fails to meet present and future demands. Government estimates propose that almost €561 billion is required to bridge the infrastructure funding gap. As part o