Transport infra plan for Colombia's Pacific region needs over US$3bn

Colombia has ambitious plans to improve connectivity in the Pacific region through 2050, with road, air, sea, river and cable car projects.

The Pacific region includes the subregions of the middle Pacific, the Nariño-Alto Patía area and northern Cauca, which cover 39 municipalities and have more than 1.7mn inhabitants.

The regional intermodal transport plan will require investments of 13.8tn pesos (about US$3.4bn).

Of the projects, 44% involve maritime and river transport, 30% roads and the rest other means such as cable cars, air and multimodal transport, said Sandra Milena Rueda, deputy director of formulation and evaluation at the transport infrastructure planning unit (UPIT).

The plan includes the vision of the national government but pays special attention to the communities, the subregions and the potential of the territory, Rueda said while presenting a report on the entity’s work.

The most important project being considered is the road between Popayán and Guapi, close to the coast in Cauca department, which would cost between 3tn and 7tn pesos, according to preliminary estimates by UPIT.

The plan encompasses 66 roads with a total length of 2,200km: six with maximum speeds of 70km/h, 32 with up to 50km/h and 28 with a maximum of 30km/h.

To begin the prefeasibility studies of the projects, UPIT is seeking support from multilateral and international cooperation agencies.