Colombia Releases Pre-bidding Rules for South America's Longest Road TunnelColombia's national road and highway institute, Invias, published the pre-bidding rules for the studies, design, social and environmental management, land expropriation, construction and operation of the main La Linea tunnel that will cross the central Andes ridge and the second carriageway between Calarcá and Cajamarca. The project is located in the Tolima, Cundinamarca and Quindío departments in central Colombia. The ongoing construction of the pilot tunnel is well advanced and the builders have not met particular problems. Click here.This is the biggest civil engineering project that Invias will award in its history. The tunnel will stretch for 8.8 kilometres approximately, which will make it the largest road tunnel in Latin America. The access to the tunnel on the second Calarcá-Cajamarca carriageway will be approx. 24 kilometres long.The publication of these pre-bidding rules open the bidding process for the La Linea tunnel, also named the Segundo Centenario tunnel (tunnel of the Second Centenary). These pre-bidding rules enable candidates interested in the bidding process to make observations and/or suggestions and request clarifications and/or essential changes to parts and/or conditions of these rules. The objective is to ensure high transparency in the selection process of the bidders and the successful contractor. Any natural person or legal entity is entitled, at the moment, to make any kind of observations for whatever reason. A final schedule will be published imminently together with the pre-bidding rules.Invias will invest COP600 billion in the project. This is a turnkey project, which will allow the investor, Invias, not to bear any risk while the contractor pledges to complete the project in 46 months and to operate it for two years.The tunnel will be equipped by an integrated follow-up and data acquisition control system, lighting, ventilation, fire detection and fire extinguishing, rescue systems, digital signage and CCTV amongst others. With its associated second carriageway, the tunnel will save car drivers 40 minutes in travelling time across the corridor and 90 minutes to lorries, by avoiding curves and sharp gradients. Construction of the tunnel will begin in 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2011. Click co/15. Read E-News Weekly 26/2007, 4/2005, 15/2004, 29/2003 & 34/2002. Visit www.invias.gov.co, section Contratación or contact Invias, tel. +57 13831000, ext. 1185, fax +57 13831000, ext. 1391 or e-mail gerenciadegrandesproyectos@invias.gov.co.Interested candidates looking for a local partner in Colombia for this project and others may contact Civil Engineer José Guillermo Peñaloza Cortés, tel. 57 3147682356 or e-mail pecorjg@yahoo.com.ar 38/07.