In May and June 2022, the ANI awarded the Troncal del Magdalena 1 and Troncal del Magdalena 2 concession contracts, belonging to the Bicentennial Concessions Program (5G). These sections are part of the old Route of the Sun 2.
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The Odebrecht scandal led to the paralysis of the project. Ruta del Sol 2, (Puerto Salgar-San Roque) was granted in January 2010 to the Concesionaria Ruta del Sol SAS, made up of Constructora Norberto Odebrecht SA, Odebrecht Inversiones e Infraestructura Ltda., Episol SA and CSS Constructores SA
The first two companies were controlled by the Brazilian Odebrecht SA, which in 2016 he pleaded guilty to paying millions of bribes to authorities and officials from various countries to keep infrastructure contracts. That year, the Prosecutor’s Office would suspend the contract Ruta del Sol 2 was awarded after a US$6.5 million bribe to Inco officials.
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In February 2017, the SIC (Superintendence of Industry and Commerce) cleared the ANI to terminate the contract signed with the concessionaire. The works are 52 percent complete. The process for the reversal of the road infrastructure and the final liquidation of the contract had to be started, to tender and award a new one to finish the work. Meanwhile, work was halted.
In July 2021, four years later, the ANI began the bidding process for the Magdalena Trunk Lineswhich is divided into two sections: Troncal del Magdalena 1 (Puerto Salgar-Barrancabermeja) and Troncal del Magdalena 2 (Sabana de Torres-Curumaní).
The public hearing for the award of the Troncal del Magdalena 1 was held on May 25, 2022and it was awarded to Autopista Magdalena Medio, made up of KMA Constructores SAS and Ortiz Construcciones y Proyectos SA The value of the contract includes capital expenditures for $2.07 billion and investment of $1.68 billion for the operation and maintenance of existing roads, the construction of new roads and the improvement of the current road for different sections of the 260-kilometer corridor.
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On June 8, 2022, the award hearing for the Troncal del Magdalena 2 was held, which handed over the contract to the same concessionaire, Autopista Magdalena Medio. There are approximately 268 kilometers in which 3.6 billion pesos will be invested.
The first commitment of the concessionaire, according to the ANI, is to rehabilitate and adapt the sections in poor condition to guarantee traffic on the highway. This work was suspended for the holiday season, but The vice president of the ANI contributed that the tasks were resumed on Thursday, January 12. This will last about six months, but it is expected that for the first bank holiday in March there will be better conditions.
“Set-up activities will be carried out in 180 days in critical sectors, while the geometric and detailed layout and design studies will be carried out for a year; and four years in the construction phase with the aim of having a dual carriageway along the entire route”, said Lyda Esquivel, vice president of the ANI.
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