The 5G Buga–Buenaventura highway project, a pivotal infrastructure initiative in southwestern Colombia, has just secured sustainable financing of COP 3.66 trillion, fully denominated in Colombian pesos to hedge against currency volatility. This funding, provided by a consortium of six institutions—including IDB Invest, IFC, Bancolombia, BBVA, FDN, and Bancóldex—and structured by JP Morgan, ensures full coverage for the construction phase, which commenced on August 16, 2024.

This Public-Private Partnership project, which is estimated to have a total investment of US$4.6 billion (Capex Dec. 2024) and US$2.5 billion (Opex Dec. 2024), corresponds to the final section of the Bogotá–Buenaventura dual carriageway corridor. The planned works include the rehabilitation of 15 km, the improvement and upgrading of 155 km, and the improvement of 33.7 km of existing road, as well as the construction of 35 km of new road (second carriageway). Also included is the operation and maintenance of the 128 km origin-destination corridor (Buenaventura–Loboguerrero–Buga) in the department of Valle del Cauca. Also highlighted are slope stabilization, the construction of two short tunnels totaling approximately 1.4 km, and the replacement of electromechanical equipment in the 17 existing tunnels, whose total length is 9.3 km. These projects benefit more than three million residents in seven municipalities, including Buenaventura, Dagua, Calima (Darién) – Restrepo, La Cumbre – Yotoco – Buga, and the Cauca Valley in general.