The mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro, has announced plans to launch, in July this year, a tender process for the Bogotá metro line 1 project.

In December 2014, the mayor signed agreements with the National Development Finance (NDF), the Colombian electricity holding EEB and Urban Development Institute (UDI) in order to study methods to finance the project. The PPP is one of the options considered.

According to sources, the project would involve the development of a 30 km metro line with 31 stations. The new line is scheduled to start operations in 20121.

The total project investment is estimated at US7.5 billion, which is about twice the previous estimate.

In early February, the head of the National Planning Department, Simon Gaviria Muñoz, announced that the project had been included in the National Development Plan 2014-2018, which qualifies to receive public funds. Gaviria added that government funding for the metro line would cover between 40% and 70% of total costs.

We have recently reported about several transport PPP projects in Colombia:

• Santa Ana - Mocoa - Neiva highway
• Barranquilla International Airport concession
• Concession of Armenia, Popoayán and Neiva airports
• Rumichaca - Pasto highway
• Santander de Quilichao - Popayán highway
• Puerta de Hierro - Palmar de Varela & Carreto - Cruz del Viso highway
• Bogota South Corridor LTR (Sabana - Soacha)
• Loboguerrero - Mulaló and Cali - Dagua - Loboguerrero corridors