OHL Concesiones is awarded its first toll road in Colombia

OHL Concesiones has been awarded a contract, in Colombia, to design, finance, construct, exploit, preserve and maintain the Río Magdalena 2 Highway, representing its first concession in the country.

The concession has been awarded by Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI) and is part of the fourth-generation road concessions program launched by the Colombian Government to improve connectivity in the country’s main production and export centers.

The investment totals 837 million euros, of which 458 million represent the execution of new works. The concession term is 25 years, extendable up to a total of 29 years.

The infrastructure will have a total length of 144 km, of which 82 km will represent new construction and the other 62 km will cover renovation and improvement of the existing road, which is currently operating.

Work on the new section, which is expected to begin in 2016, will incorporate two tunnels and 79 bridges, the largest one in Puerto Berrío, over the Magdalena River, 1,480 meters long.

The project will significantly improve connections between the Caribbean Coast, particularly the Córdoba and Sucre Departments, with Medellín, southeast Antioquía and Ruta del Sol covering, through the Magdalena Medio basin, Santander, Cundinamarca, Tolima and Caldas.

Extension and improvement of the Río Magdalena 2 Highway will add competitiveness to cargo transportation, shortening travelling times by 50-60% and, during the construction stage, between 2016 and 2020, 7,100 new direct and indirect jobs are expected each year.