Bucaramanga Metropolitan Highway (ZMB)

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In December 2006, the government of Colombia awarded Autopistas de Santander SA a 20 year greenfield contract to design, build, finance, and operate and maintain the Zona Metropolitana de Bucaramanga (ZMB) highway in the region of Santander. The 82.9 km ZMB highway was to encircle Bucaramanga and integrate northwestern Colombia and Venezuela. It was divided into a new 30.3 km stretch and an existing 52.6 km stretch to be rehabilitated. Autopistas de Santander consisted of nine companies led by Grodco. The consortium was comprised of: Cicon SA Kma Ltda; Constructora Emma Lntda Bernardo C. and Cia.Ltda Tecnica Vial S.En CA; Ci Procesdora De Safaltos En CA; Ci Grodco S. En SA Ingenieros Civiles; Garzon Ingenieros y Asociados Ltda; and Vanegas y Garzon Ltda. Ten consortia competed in the public tender, representing over 100 companies. In order of eligibility, they were: 1. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Autopistas de Santander. 2. Unión Temporal Concesión Vial del Chicamocha. 3. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Vías Metropolitanas S.A. 4. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Desarrollo Vial de Bucaramanga. 5. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Megaproyecto ZMB S.A.. 6. Promesa de Sociedad Futura ZMB 2010 S.A. 7. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Covicol. 8. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Concesionaria Metropolitana S.A.. 9. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Concesión Bucaramanga-Lebrija-Rionegro. 10. Promesa de Sociedad Futura Concesionaria Vial ZMB. The contract allotted one year for pre-construction, four years for construction and rehabilitation and the remainder of the contract for operation and maintenance. Pre-construction was scheduled for November 2007. Autopistas de Santander SA, however, obtained financing for the ZMB highway in July 2007 which allowed it to start ahead of schedule. A total of US $76.9 million (160 billion pesos) was estimated as the project cost.