Sacyr Concesiones and the Colombian National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) have signed the certificate of commencement for the Restoration of the degraded Canal del Dique ecosystems P3 project, that will restore the degraded ecosystems in the area, under the Ecosistemas del Dique P3 company.
Plans for this project, located in the Caribbean region of Colombia, comprise 435,000 ha, including water and land surface. The Canal del Dique runs for 115 km between Calamar and Cartagena Bay (Bolivar).
“This project poses a particularly singular challenge to us since it’s our first project that is 100% linked to social and environmental sustainability. We are going to work together with the ANI and the rest of our stakeholders regarding the development and wellbeing of the local communities within the project’s influence area and the recovery of degraded ecosystems”, said Rafael Gómez del Río, CEO of Sacyr Concesiones.
Construction works entail building two set of locks and sluice gates, one in Calamar and another Puerto Badel, respectively. Locks will allow to control the water course and saline infiltration as well as alleviate sedimentation movements to Cartagena and Barbacoas Bays, among other effects.
All 36 interventions in total, distributed in specific points throughout the course of the canal, will help restore the degraded ecosystems, and will make a positive impact on 1.5 million people in 19 municipalities in Atlantico, Bolivar and Sucre.
Positive consequences derived from his project will be apparent once works are completed.
Sacyr, through the Ecosistemas del Dique P3 company, will invest €1.2 billion, €678 million of which are earmarked for design and construction. This P3 contract is awarded for a 15-year period. Project development is divided into three stages:
- Pre-construction, 18 months.
- Construction, 4 years, and 3 months, until 2028.
- Operation and maintenance, 9 years until 2037.
This multimodal infrastructure development will help with climate change adaptation.
