The National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), at the request of some proposing companies, extended until December 23, 2025, the deadline for interested parties to submit their bids for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of the Public Initiative for the El Estanquillo-Popayán road corridor, a project that will connect the departments of Valle, Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo, with Ecuador and the rest of the country.

The project involves investments of COP8.82 billion (US$2.35 billion) and seeks not only to improve connectivity but also to boost the economy of the southwest of the country, since in its construction phase it would generate more than 150,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

Potential investors and interested parties have submitted various observations, adhering to the planned schedule, and the award hearing for the PPP is scheduled for January 29, 2026. This PPP will cover the construction, operation, and maintenance of a road that will improve the quality of life for communities surrounding the project, benefiting approximately one million people by reducing travel times and operating costs through rehabilitation, improvement, and construction of new bypasses and dual carriageways from Popayán to the El Estanquillo sector. 

The project has a 2-year pre-construction period, 4.5 years of construction, 18 years of operation and maintenance, and 6 months for contract reversion and settlement. The project includes 14 tunnels totaling 17.9  kilometers, 125 vehicular bridges, 62.3 kilometers of dual carriageway, 9 new at-grade and grade-separated intersections, 15 pedestrian bridges, and the acquisition of more than 600 rural and suburban properties.