Colombia inks over US$900mn Buenaventura-Buga highway contract with Sacyr

Colombia's infrastructure agency ANI has signed the 4.05tn-peso (US$922mn) concession contract to carry out construction works, and operate and maintain the Buenaventura-Buga road corridor, which is part of the 5G infrastructure program.

The contract was awarded to the company Sacyr.

The works involve completing construction of 35km of a second roadway to turn the corridor into a divided highway, which will improve connections between Colombia's main port on the Pacific coast and the production centers in the interior of the country.

The company will also have to build two tunnels for a total length of 1.4km, as well as stabilizing slopes along the highway, in addition to upgrading electromechanical equipment in the 17 existing tunnels.

Sacyr must also rehabilitate 15km of the Simón Bolívar road and improve 33.7km of roadway. The concession includes operating and maintaining 244km of roads. 

Of the total 4.05tn pesos outlined in the contract, 2.21bn pesos will be for the construction works and 1.84tn pesos for operation and maintenance (according to figures as of December 2020). The works are expected to create nearly 67,000 direct, indirect and related jobs.  

ANI president William Camargo said in a Facebook video that the documents to begin construction will be signed within 3-4 weeks to ensure that the deadlines are met for the highway. 

Pre-construction works are expected to take 1.5 years and construction another 3.5 years, while the operation and maintenance period will be for 24 years. 

The 5G program includes multimodal works in two stages totaling around US$11bn. The first stage alone encompasses investments of US$4.8bn.