President Duque: Crucial Medellin-to-Atlantic Highways, Tunnels, Puerto Antioquia Highest Priorities by 2022
Colombia President Ivan Duque announced August 13 that the crucial “Mar 1” and “Mar 2” highways — including the Toyo Tunnel and Tunel de Occidente — as well as the proposed “Puerto Antioquia” freight port on the Caribbean are his highest priorities for accelerated advance or completion before his term ends in 2022.
Speaking August 13 at a ceremony here marking the just-completed tunnel boring at Medellin’s second “Tunel de Occidente” (West Tunnel) linking Medellin westward to Santa Fe de Antioquia, Duque confirmed that his administration also aims to ensure completion of tunnel boring of Colombia’s longest highway tunnel – the 19.4-kilometers-long Toyo Tunnel in Antioquia — which today is only one-sixth-of-the way completed.
Transport Secretary Ángela María Orozco had earlier confirmed that the Colombian government would arrange COP$1.4 trillion (US$370 million) in credits for the Toyo tunnel (also known as Tunel Guillermo Gaviria Echeverri) by end-September 2020.
The new, 4.6-kilometers-long, second Tunel de Occidente tube — adding two more lanes adjacent to the existing tube — has a projected cost of COP$420 billion (US$108 million) and is due for completion by end-2022, according to contractor Devimar.
Having the second tube completed will enable four lines of divided highway as part of the high-speed “Mar 1” project linking Medellin westward to current and future Atlantic ports. The existing highway tunnel is restricted to two-way traffic on single lanes and suffers much congestion.
“Mar 1” eventually will link to “Mar 2” (including the Toyo Tunnel) all the way to the Caribbean, slashing freight traffic times between Medellin and Atlantic ports to just four hours, rather than eight hours currently.
The “Mar 1” project (already 70% complete) and the connecting “Mar 2” highway projects are projected to be completed by 2023, assuming that Toyo Tunnel finance indeed is finalized promptly, as promised.
