FCC has been awarded the contract for the project consisting of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Toyo tunnel in the Urabá Port (around 80 kilometres from Medellín) with a budget of 392 million euros (1.1 trillion Colombian pesos). The Government of Antioquia awarded the project to a consortium led by the Citizen Services Group (with a 40% share) and a group of local businesspeople (with the remaining 60%).

The project is to be fully executed over 10 years, six of which will be dedicated to the construction phase and two and a half to operation and maintenance. The rest of the time will be spent on the design phase and any necessary pre-construction work. Other large international infrastructure groups also took part in the tender process. It is estimated that the Toyo tunnel works will directly create one thousand jobs.

The project, located between the municipalities of Giraldo and Cañasgordas, around 500 kilometres north-west of Bogotá, consists of building a completely new road section, 40.84 kilometres long in two directions with one lane in each, although there will also be a dual carriageway section with two lanes in each direction. This section will pass through the mountains of western Antioquia, in an area that is difficult to access.

The works will substantially improve the connection between Medellín and the region of Urabá, given that the journey between the capital of Antioquia and Urabá will be cut from the six hours it currently takes to three and a half when using private vehicles, once the whole Toyo tunnel project is up and running. For lorries, the journey will take around four hours. The highways Mar 1 and Mar 2, forming part of the Autopistas de la Prosperidad programme, amongst other infrastructure in the region, will also contribute to this shorter journey time.

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.

Presence in Colombia

This contract represents a step forward for FCC presence in Colombia, where their activity in this country dates back to the 1980s with the construction of the Medellín Metro. The Citizen Services Group is currently carrying out the Bogota River dredging project in the vicinity of the capital as well as the work on the El Dorado airport control tower, also in the capital.

The Bogota River project aims to improve water quality, prevent flooding and recover the riverbed as a multi-purpose and recreational area. The project also includes the expansion of the riverbed over a 40-kilometre stretch near the west of the capital city.

The new control tower at El Dorado airport will be 80 metres high, covering an area of 2,500 metres and will have deep, pile foundations. El Dorado is Latin America's busiest cargo airport and the third busiest in terms of passenger flights, with around 20 million passengers per year. There is also a 12,000 square metre building under construction beside the control tower for the Civil Aviation Management Centre.

In addition, FCC Industrial is currently working on the signalling system for the Medellín Metro.