Plan to complete Colombian tunnel project

In Colombia plans are underway to try and revive the project to construct the La Linea tunnel. The project has been beset with problems since work commenced. Problems have included insufficient funding, unexpectedly poor ground conditions and some firms involved having the wrong kind of insurance. The Segundo Centenario consortium is building the La Linea tunnel and is keen for this to continue. The new plan involves the incorporation of local firm Construcciones e Inversiones Beta, which would acquire a 40% stake in this venture and deliver more capital as required. There are also plans to bring in two new strategic partners, the cement firms Cementos Argos and 3016 Cemex. These companies could offer credit lines for the materials such as cement, concrete and steel to help construct the link. In addition, construction firm Carlos Collins, which is part of the current Segundo Centenario consortium, could transfer funds from the Bogota-Girardot project, in which it also has a stake, into Tunel de la Linea. The consortium has asked for 13 months to complete work on the tunnel, which was originally planned to have opened by November 2014. The investment needed to complete the project has been estimated at US$60 million.