Sacyr Continues to Make Progress on its Fourth-Generation (4G) Highway Projects in Colombia. Yesterday, Sacyr Concessions opened an 84.2-km section of the Puerta de Hierro - Cruz del Viso road that accounts for 42% of its total length. This road is one of the four that Sacyr Concessions is involved with in the country.
This infrastructure, which will improve the connectivity of Colombia's Caribbean region, is 198 km long and connects the Departments of Sucre, Bolívar and Atlántico. The highway will allow easier access to the main seaports, airports and border crossings on the Caribbean coast.
The project is being carried out by Concesionaria Vial Montes de María, which is owned by Sacyr Concessions, on behalf of the ANI (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura — Colombian National Infrastructure Agency).
This road has another two sections, or functional units, which are currently under construction and are more than 72% complete. The first section begins in Puerta de Hierro (Sucre) and runs to El Carmen de Bolívar, and the second extends from El Carmen de Bolívar to Cruz del Viso (Bolívar).
Sacyr Concessions has four 4G projects in Colombia which represent a total length of 525 kilometers and a managed investment of €2.2 billion.
Reduced travel times
"By opening nearly 85 kilometers, travel times will be reduced, road safety will be increased, and the level of service will be increased, which will enhance connectivity and economic development in the region. The works consisted of improving the condition of the existing corridor that links the Departments of Bolívar and Atlántico through the Troncal de Occidente national road, which is one of the main routes for the transport of cargo between the south and interior of the country and the Caribbean coast, especially Barranquilla, one of the main ports," said Jorge Beceiro, general manager of Concesionaria Vial Montes de María.
Information on the section opened yesterday:
- The total width of the road is 11.3 meters (two lanes of 3.65 m and a 2-m berm on each side of the road)
- Installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), featuring SOS posts, variable messaging LED signs and warning lights, that keep users informed of road conditions and maintain permanent communication with the Operations Control Center.
- Construction of a service area and a weighing area.
- The section will have an impact on seven municipalities in Bolívar and Atlántico (San Juan Nepomuceno, Calamar, Suan, Campo de la Cruz, Candelaria, Ponedera and Palmar de Varela).
- At the end of May, the project employed 1541 people, 62% of whom were from the area directly impacted by it.
