30/04/2015

Sacyr Construcción will build the longest bridge in Colombia (2.28 km), the country's biggest public work to date, for 223 million euros

Sacyr Construcción will build the longest bridge in Colombia (2.28 km), the country's biggest public work to date, for 223 million euros

Sacyr Construcción CEO José María Orihuela signed the contract to build the Pumarejo Bridge in Barranquilla yesterday together with the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, the vice president Germán Vargas Lleras, the Colombian government's infrastructure coordinator, the Minister of Transport Natalia Abello Vives, and INVÍAS CEO Carlos García Montes. The contract, awarded to the consortium led by Sacyr Construcción (together with Esgamo Ingenieros Constructores), is for a total of 6.15 billion pesos (223 million euros) and establishes a 36 month deadline.

"We have made a commitment to revolutionizing our infrastructure with a focus on quality, which makes this project the largest and most important bridge in the country, creating 5,000 additional jobs", commented President Santos after signing the contract.

"We are building a new history for the Colombian Caribbean with this major feat of infrastructure, creating progress and competitiveness for the country", said the CEO of the company, Carlos García Montes.

The Colombian government aims to improve the interior's trade with departments in the Caribbean and Venezuela with the new bridge, currently crossed by 5,000 vehicles a day.


Pumarejo Bridge

This project to build the longest bridge in Colombia (2.28 km) is one of the country's most significant public works: the cable-stayed bridge will span 380 meters between the 80 meter-high pylons and will have box girders at either entrance point; the vehicle deck will have three lanes as well as a pedestrian area (2 m) and bike path (1.50 m) on both ends; the deck will be 38.1 meters wide in the cable-stayed section and 35.1 meters wide in the access sections; the clearance gauge for the passage of vessels will be 45 meters.

The Pumarejo Bridge will provide a comprehensive solution for crossing the Magdalena River in Barranquilla, enabling large vessels to pass as well as increasing user convenience and improving traffic circulation, particularly that of heavy vehicles traveling in both directions. The bridge will also further increase the safety and the level of service provided to users of this busy road.

This project consolidates Sacyr's presence in Colombia, where the company is currently working on projects crucial to the development of national roads, including the road between Málaga - Los Curos in the department of Santander (which includes three bridges: the 7 meter La Judía, 140 meter Sitio Crítico and 640 meter Hisgaura, a cable-stayed bridge with a central span over 400 meters in length) and the Buenaventura - Loboguerrero road.

This contract also consolidates the Sacyr group's presence in Latin America, where it is already present with operations in Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Panama, and Mexico. Sacyr's vast technical and technological expertise has enabled the company to win contracts in over 20 countries on five continents. Such diversification means that 83% of the company's works portfolio now pertains to overseas contracts.

N.P_Pumarejo Bridge in Barranquilla (Colombia)
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