A consortium led by Spanish company 5656 FCC has been awarded a contract for the Toyo tunnel project, including design, construction, operation and maintenance of the tunnel in the Urabá Port, around 80 kilometres from Medellín, Colombia.
The US$432 million project, which is expected to take ten years to complete, is located between the municipalities of Giraldo and Cañasgordas, around 500 kilometres north-west of Bogotá. It includes the building of a completely new road section, 41 kilometres long with one lane in each direction, as well as a dual carriageway section with two lanes in each direction through the mountains of western Antioquia.
The complete project also includes 12.3 kilometres of tunnels, 9.8 of which will make up the Toyo tunnel, added to the new road leading to Urabá. Once complete, this infrastructure will be the longest of its kind in Colombia.
The works are intended to substantially improve the connection between Medellín and the region of Urabá; once the whole Toyo tunnel project is complete, the journey between the capital of Antioquia and Urabá will be cut from the six hours it currently takes to three and a half for private vehicles and around four hours for lorries. The Mar 1 and Mar 2 highways, forming part of the Autopistas de la Prosperidad programme, amongst other infrastructure in the region, will also contribute to this shorter journey time.
The US$432 million project, which is expected to take ten years to complete, is located between the municipalities of Giraldo and Cañasgordas, around 500 kilometres north-west of Bogotá. It includes the building of a completely new road section, 41 kilometres long with one lane in each direction, as well as a dual carriageway section with two lanes in each direction through the mountains of western Antioquia.
The complete project also includes 12.3 kilometres of tunnels, 9.8 of which will make up the Toyo tunnel, added to the new road leading to Urabá. Once complete, this infrastructure will be the longest of its kind in Colombia.
The works are intended to substantially improve the connection between Medellín and the region of Urabá; once the whole Toyo tunnel project is complete, the journey between the capital of Antioquia and Urabá will be cut from the six hours it currently takes to three and a half for private vehicles and around four hours for lorries. The Mar 1 and Mar 2 highways, forming part of the Autopistas de la Prosperidad programme, amongst other infrastructure in the region, will also contribute to this shorter journey time.
