Colombia inaugurates the longest tunnel in Latin America

Colombia put into operation the Line Tunnel (La Línea), 8.5 kilometers (five miles) long and the longest in Latin America, which is considered one of the most important infrastructure works for the country after more than a decade of construction.

The corridor, with an investment that exceeded 273.7 million dollars, crosses the Central Mountain Range of the Colombian Andes and will improve road connectivity between the center and the southwest of the country.

Along with the La Línea Tunnel, the Government inaugurated another 4 tunnels, 5 viaducts, 2 road interchanges, and 13.4 kilometers of a new track that make up part of the double roadway that connects the municipalities of Cajamarca and Calarcá.

"This has been a long process and it is the triumph of a whole nation, it is not an individual triumph nor a triumph of a few, it is a triumph of that persevering, intense, hard-working, dreaming and materializing Colombia of desires", said Duque in the opening ceremony of the work.

The La Línea Tunnel is part of a strategic path to boost the country's economy and competitiveness by reducing operating costs and bringing more products to and from the port of Buenaventura, Colombia's most important port on the Pacific Ocean. It will allow communicating in less time the capitals of departments such as Cali and Armenia with Bogota.

The complete crossing of the Central Mountain Range, which faced delays due to technical problems and the contracting of the State with some firms in charge of the works, includes 30 kilometers of track, 25 tunnels, and 31 viaducts. All the works will enter into service in April 2021 at a cost of 793.8 million dollars.