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

  • Work commencing on key New Zealand tunnel link
    August 3, 2012
    New Zealand prime minister John Key led an official ground-breaking ceremony this week to allow the start of excavation work for two new 2.4km-long motorway tunnels beneath suburban Auckland. The Waterview Connection project is on schedule to begin its main construction phase next year, and the prime minister was on hand to turn the first soil for a 30m-deep trench which is needed to allow access for the tunnels’ southern approach trench in the west Auckland suburb of Owairaka.
  • British Columbia decides on Massey Tunnel
    August 20, 2021
    Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia has announced the George Massey Tunnel replacement will be another tunnel and not a bridge as decided earlier.
  • Kenya develops annuity road funding model
    May 8, 2015
    Kenya is introducing novel methods for funding its necessary road infrastructure development - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya has unveiled a new financing model for road construction and reviewed its design standards and construction methodologies, which forms part of a new strategy for the East African country. Under this new plan Kenya is planning to upgrade 10,000km of road, with these links featuring asphalt surfacing; the work being carried out over the next five years at a cost of US$2.8 billion. Despite t
  • Concrete paving a smoother surface using machine control technology
    May 17, 2017
    Innovative technology has been used to deliver a smooth concrete road surface on a busy stretch of highway in Nebraska. Much-needed work on a busy section of Interstate 80 has been carried out in Nebraska to improve the road surface. This is one of the most important highways in the US, providing a link that stretches right across the country between the east and west coasts. This busy highway carries a high percentage of heavy truck traffic as it is a vital transport route. However this constant flow of la