Colombia approves highway plan funding

Colombia has approved US$13.4 billion in funding for nine highway projects, part of a master plan to revamp and expand Latin America's fourth largest road network. All nine projects are part of the Autopistas para la Prosperidad program, which involves the construction of some 838 kilometres of two-lane highways, 63 kilometres of bridges and 90 kilometres of tunnels. The government also decided to finance directly the construction of Toyo tunnel, ruling out the concession framework for that project.
March 10, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

Colombia has approved US$13.4 billion in funding for nine highway projects, part of a master plan to revamp and expand Latin America's fourth largest road network.

All nine projects are part of the Autopistas para la Prosperidad program, which involves the construction of some 838 kilometres of two-lane highways, 63 kilometres of bridges and 90 kilometres of tunnels.

The government also decided to finance directly the construction of Toyo tunnel, ruling out the concession framework for that project.

"Nine projects have been approved, eight of them will be under a public-private partnership and one will be entirely financed by the state," president Juan Manuel Santos said in a public speech in western Antioquia department.

Conexión Norte, a US$500 million, 146 kilometre highway in north-west Colombia is scheduled to be awarded in the first quarter. In the second quarter, national infrastructure agency ANI will name the winners in the tenders for Conexión Pacífico 1, Río Magdalena 2 and Conexión Pacífico 3, among other projects, for more than US$2.5 billion.

Río Magdalena 1, Autopista al Mar 1 and Autopista al Mar 2 are planned to be awarded in the third quarter for US$2.66 billion.

Colombia plans to award at least 25 highway projects in 2014 under a US$21 billion plan dubbed 4G. 

Related Content

  • Impact of US economic stimulus programme on ITS industry
    August 2, 2012
    Pete Goldin reports on the public sector perspective in this second article exploring the impact of the US economic stimulus programme on the domestic ITS industry The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted in February 2009 to help stimulate the US economy in the face of global recession. Of measures worth a nominal total of $787 billion, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) received just over $48 billion with which to promote short-term economic recovery and an additional $1.5 bil
    Read More
  • CBO report on federal highway spending ‘a breath of fresh air’ says IBTTA
    February 17, 2016
    The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) applauds a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, Approaches to Making Federal Highway Spending More Productive, which examines the economic advantages of tolling as one means of funding the nation’s highway system.
    Read More
  • New Zealand road upgrades
    August 29, 2012
    The New Zealand government has unveiled plans to spend US$10.3 billion on the country's land transport system over the next three years, partly funded by increases in petrol excise duty and road user charges. Transport minister Gerry Brownlee said the programme was the largest of its kind in New Zealand's history and would fund transport infrastructure and services around New Zealand such as state highway improvements and the Government's "roads of national significance".
    Read More
  • Construction begins on $1 billion I-95 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia
    August 8, 2012
    Surrounded by elected officials, transportation engineers, and dignitaries, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday to begin construction of the I-95 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia. The project will build 29 miles (46.7kms) of express lanes on I-95 from Garrisonville Road in Stafford County to Edsall Road in Fairfax County, and will connect the I-95 Express Lanes to the I-495 Express Lanes currently under construction to provide a seamless network of new lanes to reduce
    Read More

Highlighted Content