Colombian deals

RSSThe Colombian authorities are agreeing terms with the Colombian electricity transmission company Interconexion Electrica (1311 ISA) for the Autopistas de la Montana highway project. The Bogota-Villavicencio highway was also awarded although other infrastructure projects are still awaiting approval. Contracts in 2010 for the Colombia's Ministry of Transport (Mintransporte) are estimated to be worth US$9.07 billion, which will be released within a seven year period. The third section of the Ruta del Sol will be launched by the end of the first quarter in 2010 and the project should be awarded to a company in June 2010. Meanwhile, the Colombian institute for concessions, 1314 INCO, has awarded another road project, worth $40.3 million to Grupo Nule. This comes in spite of concerns over delays in current works carried out by the holding. The additional road project for the Bogota-Girardot highway (operated by Grupo Nule subsidiaries MNV and Gas Kpital) involves interchanges in Soacha municipality, Cundinamarca. This consortium has asked the government on several occasions whether it can build the Autopista Longitudinal de Occidente (ALO) road in Bogota, claiming that it will alleviate traffic issues on the Sur (or southern) highway leading to Buenaventura.

The Colombian authorities are putting several large-scale infrastructure projects out to tender. These include the third stage of the Ruta del Sol highway, which will run from San Roque, Cesar, to the Y of Cienaga, Magdalena. The 1317 Colombian Ministry of Transport looks likely to boost the value of the work from US$954.19 million to $1.155 billion. Tender documents are also being prepared for Las Americas highway, a project valued at around $4 billion. The contract may be awarded in the first half of 2010 and is likely to require a 45 year period to recoup the original investment.