The Colombian National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) awarded yesterday the Pacific Connection highway concession 2 to the P.S.F Concesión La Pintada consortium, which was the only bidder for the project.

On 5 June 2013, a total of 19 consortia submitted proposals in the EOIs phase. Ten of them were shortlisted for the project but only one consortium finally submitted bid for the project.

The winning team is formed by: Grupo Odinsa S.A. - 25%, Mincivil S.A - 21.15%, Construcciones el Condor - 21.15%, Termotécnica Coindustrial S.A - 13.50%, Icein S.A.S - 9.20%% and Mota Engil Engenharia e Construcao S.A - 10%.

The project cost is estimated at P910,000 million (US$470 million). The project, which is part of the Autopistas de la Prosperidad package, includes the stretches of Bolombolo-La Pintada (44km) and La Pintada-Primavera (54km). The project also involves the construction of 69 bridges and a 2.5km tunnel in Mulatos.

In April 2014, the Pacific Connection highway concession 1, which is also part of the Autopistas de la Prosperidad package, received only two bids from the ten shortlisted consortia.

Furthermore last month two consortia submitted technical and economic offers for US$784 million Girardot-Puerto Salgar highway concession. The result of the tender process was also negative given that ten consortia had been shortlisted for the project in July 2013.

Industry sources mention that there are doubts over the overall financing of the program. This could be preventing many teams from bidding in the tender processes.