The infrastructure projects that Grupo Argos has in their agenda for Colombia are key for the country: Two mega highways that will connect the center and the west of the country and two new airports.
Conexión Centro is one of the highways that the Group is in charge and it will connect Bogotá – Cali and Cali – Eje Cafetero with double lane roads. The feasibility study for this project was ready last year and the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) started the reviewing process after the documents were delivered by Odinsa and Macquarie, the two companies in charge.
Mauricio Ossa, president of Odinsa, shared with the investors that a construction contract should be in effect around July 2025 after the evaluation process its completed, around October or November of this year. According to him, the technical and socialization stage are over and ANI already hired the evaluator. It is worth mentioning that the new concession would take the corridor, currently operated by Autopistas del Café – whose majority shareholder is Odinsa -, and would expand along a big part of its roads.
This highway will complement the remaining section to connect Bogotá and Cali on a double lane road (the others are Tercer Carril Bogotá – Girardot, Girardot – Ibagué – Cajamarca and La Línea tunnel, between Cajamarca and Calarcá). But it would also connect Valle department and Eje Cafetero with a faster double lane road.
Grupo Argos, through Odinsa, is also preparing a corridor to the west of Bogotá, which will link the south and north of the city. It is called Perimetral de la Sabana. It will be 51 kilometers and will cross the municipalities of Madrid, Mosquera, Funza, Tenjo, Tabio, Chía and Cajicá.
The cement company is also taking a chance with the expansion of the country’s main airport, El Dorado airport. The president of Odinsa recognizes that this project is the most demanding initiative at this time. The project is taking up the most effort due to its complexity and the number of tasks that have to be carried out.
In five months, the feasibility study must be delivered, this involves all studies and designs from the technical, social, risks, legal and geological aspects. Afterwards, the evaluator must be hired and the expectation that the Colombian Government and Grupo Argos have is that it should be a concession contract by July 2026.
This megaproject involves the improvement of the existing infrastructure and expansion of El Dorado Airport, as well as a new construction in order to maximize the airports capacity, increasing it by 20 million passengers, for a total of 60 million per year.
The total investment for this project is close to $7 billion and some of the renovations involve: the expansion of the current terminal with 36 new aircraft parking positions with direct boarding for passengers; 1,690 additional vehicle parking spaces; the construction of a second terminal with capacity for 10 million passengers at the location of the current Puente Aereo.
An additional benefit will be a better integration with the city in its road accesses, through the expansion of Calle 26, the extension of Av. Mutis to the intersection with Funza – Cota road and the extension and construction of a new Transmilenio (city bus system) portal, with the creation of the Airport Modal Exchange Center (CIMA).
On the other hand, the Bayunca airport project, which will be located on the outskirts of Cartagena, has completed the feasibility stage. The next step will be to consult the evaluator to carry out a partial evaluation and make technical adjustments during the months of May or July.
This project is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2024, which meets perfectly with ANI’s expectations and Grupo Argos’ schedules. The concession contract is estimated to be signed by the end of 2025.
This airport will have two runways and its construction is estimated to take a period of six to seven years. In its first phase, it is expected to have the capacity to serve 11 million passengers per year, and upon completion of the concession, the capacity will grow to 45 million passengers per year.
Source: https://www.valoraanalitik.com/
