How Colombia's 4G highway program is advancing

Colombia plans to bring highway projects Autopista al Mar 2 and Autopista al Río Magdalena 2 into the operational phase this year or early 2025. 

The country's 4G highway program consists of 30 projects, covering around 5,000km of road concessions, with a capex of 63tn pesos (US$14bn) and a similar amount of opex, according to the transport ministry.

Of the projects, 15 are in the operation and maintenance phase, while 12 are under construction, said transport minister María Constanza García at the XXI national infrastructure congress.

2024 progress

Seven 4G projects have entered into operation so far this year: Autopista Conexión Norte, Neiva-Espinal-Girardot, Pamplona-Cúcuta, Autopista Conexión Pacífico 3, Transversal del Sisga, GICA (Girardot–Ibagué–Cajamarca), and Cambao–Manizales, according to information from infrastructure agency ANI.

At present, six projects have reached construction progress of more than 90%: Autopista al Mar 2, 99%; Bucaramanga–Barrancabermeja–Yondó, 98%; Pacífico 1, 96.5%; Antioquia-Bolívar, 94%; Villavicencio–Yopal, 93%; and Autopista al Río Magdalena 2, 91.8%. 

The program was launched in 2013 and the first contract was awarded in 2014, for the Conexión Pacífico 2 highway.