Colombia continues tunnel plans

With work on Colombia's first La Linea tunnel still incomplete, discussions are now being held regarding plans for the second tunnel. The country's roads administration body, 2812 Invias, estimates the second tunnel as being likely to cost US$407 million to construct. Work on the second link is planned to start in the next four years, although given the track record of the first tunnel, the project could take considerably longer. The first La Linea tunnel project has been hit by a series of serious delays including the discovery that the geology of the route was considerably worse than expected, requiring a major redesign, and a stoppage stemming from insurance problems. When complete the first tunnel will link Bogota with Buenaventura and the second tunnel will further boost capacity on the route. At present there is heavy congestion on the existing links between the two cities and journey times are long, while there are also concerns over safety for road users. Meanwhile Invias is planning other road projects including 207km of roads between Bogota and Buenaventura, with a total estimated cost of $945 million. A further $1.4 billion will be invested on the new highway linking Bogota with Cucuta.