Skip to main content

Solution found for Colombian tunnel project?

A solution seems to have been found for Colombia’s long-running La Linea Tunnel project. Work has been delayed on the tunnel for a number of reasons and on a number of occasions, most recently due to funding issues. But previous delays were due to such diverse causes as technical challenges posed by the difficult conditions and a lack of suitable insurance cover. The Colombian Government has come to an agreement with the Segundo Centenario consortium building the tunnel that will see construction activity r
March 12, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSA solution seems to have been found for Colombia’s long-running La Linea Tunnel project. Work has been delayed on the tunnel for a number of reasons and on a number of occasions, most recently due to funding issues. But previous delays were due to such diverse causes as technical challenges posed by the difficult conditions and a lack of suitable insurance cover.

The Colombian Government has come to an agreement with the Segundo Centenario consortium building the tunnel that will see construction activity recommence, according to Business News Americas. The US$363 million project has been the focus for major negotiations between both parties over the last few months while a solution has been searched for. Earlier this year, work stalled and the consortium faced having its contract cancelled by the state road authority 2812 Invias. Meanwhile the consortium members were told they could face a ban from working on any state tenders for a five year period.

The Segundo Centenario consortium comprises 11 firms: Condux, Constructora Herreña Fronpeca Colombia, Álvarez y Collins, Constructora Carlos Collis, Constructora Montecarlo Vías, Túneles de Colombia, Construirte, Gaico Ingenieros Constructores, H&H Arquitectura and Feluca.

This new compromise deal means that the consortium has to complete the tunnel by the end of November 2016. An additional $125 million is being provided to pay for the completion work. The 8.5km tunnel will link Colombia’s capital Bogota with the country’s main port, Buenaventura, and was originally planned for completion by November 2014. The tunnel is around 75% complete and the project also includes the construction of a 24km highway. When the route is finished it will cut journey times for commuters and also for the many heavy trucks driving between the port and Bogota, as well as improving safety over the existing road.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Vinci wins stalled Strasbourg Grand Contournement Ouest deal
    November 12, 2015
    French construction group Vinci has been named preferred bidder for construction and operation of the previously canceled western motorway bypass in Strasbourg, northeastern France. Vinci will lead a consortium for the project estimated to need €475 million. The contract will be signed next year with construction to start in 2017, according to a report in the French newspaper Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace
  • 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
  • Speed and precision make for perfect tunnelling combination
    May 21, 2014
    Speed and precision have been the hallmarks of a number of major road tunnelling projects across the globe over the last 12 months, as the latest sector equipment from leading manufacturers has found itself in high demand. Guy Woodford reports Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBM) have been busy tunnelling under major Chinese rivers, demonstrating phenomenal speed, top safety levels and extreme precision while playing a key role in the construction of road tunnels in the Yangtze River Delta. The Yang
  • Colombia’s new transport infrastructure to boost national construction industry
    July 30, 2013
    Huge investment in Colombia’s transport infrastructure is expected to lead to substantial market growth in the country’s construction industry, according to new research by Timetric. In its research report; ‘Construction in Colombia – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2017’, Timetric, who provide online data, analysis and advisory services to key financial and industry sectors, states, “Colombia’s Ministry of Transportation plans to invest COP102.3 trillion (US$56 billion) in transport infrastructure developm