The Colombian government has committed nearly US$144 million to complete the Toyo Tunnel Project in the northwest department of Antioquia.
With a population of around six million, Antioquia is one of the 32 national departments and is located in the central northwest part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous much of which is part of the Andes mountain range.
The Toyo Tunnel Project – also called the Guillermo Gaviria Echeverri Tunnel Project- covers 18.3km connecting the municipalities of Cañasgordas and Giraldo. It includes bridges and the 9.7km-long Toyo Tunnel, the longest in Colombia and running deepest at 900m. It is also is one of many in Colombia’s “fourth-generation (4G) highway network” projects to improve connections nationally.
The Consorcio Antioquia al Mar, a consortium, was awarded the 10-year construction contract in 2015, according to BN Americas, a business intelligence platform that provides information and data solutions to project owners, contractors, suppliers and financial services firms. Consorcio Antioquia al Mar consists of infrastructure contractors Colombiana de Infraestructuras, Carlos Alberto Solarte and CASS Constructores as well as tunnelling civil engineering specialist Estyma Estudios y Manejos
BN Americas also notes that the agreement between the companies gives Colombiana de Infraestructuras, a subsidiary of Spanish company FCC, 40% ownership and a 20% ownership each for Carlos Alberto Solarte, Estyma Estudios y Manejos and CASS Constructores.
Engineering consultancy WSP worked on final studies and designs in Phase III for Section No. 1 for the consortium. Its work included a transportation study, a soil study for the design of bridge foundations and other retaining structures, a slope stability and stabilisation study, geotechnical study and pavement design, hydraulics analysis and tunnel study and designs.
The consortium also worked with Swedish equipment maker Epiroc for drilling and ventilation strategies. Epiroc's Boomer XE3C and Boomer E2C jumbos with ABC Total Navigation systems have excavated around 1.4 million cubic meters of soil.
