With the delivery of the national guarantee signed by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit to the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, and with the signing of the first credit operation between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Bogotá Metro Company, the international public bidding process begins for the construction of the Line 2 project of the Bogotá Metro (L2MB), which is divided into two phases:
- The first phase involves the prequalification process of bidders, where interested international companies must demonstrate the required financial and technical conditions to participate in the project's execution.
- The prequalified companies will proceed to the second phase of international public bidding, which includes the submission of economic proposals, leading to the award and signing of the concession contract.
During the event held at the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, Mayor Claudia López explained that with the opening of this international bidding process, the city is making progress in the restoration of the capital's railway network, which will contribute to clean and sustainable mobility.
"Today is a very happy day for Bogotá and Colombia. The Metro is the most important climate change adaptation project in the country. It is the city's and the country's commitment to continue building a clean metro network. If there is one thing that unites Bogotá, it is the Metro, and we are finally making it a reality," Mayor López stated.
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In this tweet, the Mayor talks about the international bidding process for the construction of Line 2 of the Bogotá Metro to Suba and Engativá:
Inicia la licitación pública internacional para el Metro Subterráneo a Suba y Engativá:
— Claudia López Hernández (@ClaudiaLopez) May 11, 2023
- A partir de este lunes 15 de mayo, las empresas interesadas podrán conocer las condiciones del proceso de precalificación.
- Las propuestas de precalificación se recibirán hasta 28 de… pic.twitter.com/fg7w2UmT1z
The city's leader celebrated that Bogotá residents will have an additional hour and a half each day to spend with their families, work more productively, or learn.
From Station No. 11 in Suba to Station No. 1 on 72nd Street, citizens will only take 20 minutes, which will significantly reduce travel times for residents of these districts and, consequently, lead to a clear improvement in their quality of life.
"Colombians and citizens of Bogotá, we can achieve the dreams we set our minds to. It took us 20 years to complete Line 1, and it took us 3 and a half years to secure the contract for Line 2. Bogotá will continue expanding its underground metro. The Master Plan projected until 2050 includes 5 underground metro lines, 22 trunk lines, and suburban trains," added the Mayor.
The Underground Metro Line to the Suba and Engativá districts has an investment of 35 trillion Colombian pesos, with 70% provided by the national government and 30% by the capital city. "I am grateful to the Congress of the Republic for approving this project in the Development Plan through the Interparliamentary Committee on Public Credit, and to the Bogotá City Council for approving the debt limit," commented Mayor López.
She emphasized that the Underground Metro Line to Suba and Engativá is an act of "social justice" and recognized the work of Leonidas Narváez, the Metro Company Manager, and his entire team who have tirelessly worked to make this project a reality.
She said, "Colombia is ready to fulfill big dreams, to become a world power of life. I invite you all to believe in it. Of course, we can build a metro, of course, we can have cable cars, of course, we can have the largest fleet of electric buses!"
On the other hand, the Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, stated that there will be no diesel bus that stands in the way of the city's future. "Here, we are completing the dream of the horseshoe, which is Line 1 and Line 2 of the Metro," he pointed out.
Minister Bonilla added, "This project is a reality. It's not that it seems to be happening, it is happening. This is unstoppable. We are already starting to organize the financing and contracting, and in a few months, we will know who will build Line 2 of the Metro."
He emphasized that the national government's goal is to build a mass transportation system that does not compete with TransMilenio but rather complements it. "The resources are available. Bogotá will have the horseshoe and the beginning of its underground metro network," he added.
The Minister of Transportation, William Camargo, also celebrated this significant news, saying, "Thank you all. It is a great pleasure for me to enter this stage as the Minister of Transportation."
He highlighted that the Underground Metro Line to the Suba and Engativá districts will include urban development projects that help compact the territory. "Bogotá is showing the way to make sustainable development, accessible mobility, and equity possible," he stated.
Starting on May 15th, the deadline for obtaining prequalification proposals will begin, which will extend until June 28th at 10:00 a.m. Colombian time at the offices of the Bogotá Metro Company.
Starting next Monday, interested parties will have access to the participation requirements for the prequalification process on the Bogotá Metro Company's website and on Secop II. Interested companies must demonstrate the required financial and technical conditions to participate in the execution of this project in accordance with the regulations of multilateral banking institutions.
After the first two phases, the following steps will be taken:
- June 29th to July 26th: Evaluation of prequalified companies.
- July 27th to August 22nd: Feedback with prequalified companies.
- September 5th to September 28th: Management of "No Objection" from banks.
- September 13th: Approval of future terms.
- September 21st: Confis future terms for Concession, Supervision, and PMO bids.
- From September 29th, 2023, to February 14th, 2024: Opening of the public bidding process and proposal submission.
- From February 15th to February 29th, 2024: Evaluation of offers.
- March 1st, 2024: Project award.
Leonidas Narváez, General Manager of the Bogotá Metro Company, explained that "to initiate this public bidding process, five steps involving multilateral banks, the national government, and the city were taken: the assignment of income contract signed between the Ministry and the Finance Secretary; the signing of the counter-guarantee provided by the Metro Company to the nation; the resolution of the Ministry of Finance authorizing the Metro Company to enter into a contract with multilateral banks; the guarantee contract signed by the Ministry of Finance, and the signing of the credit agreement between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Metro Company. The first three steps occurred last month, and the last two took place this week."
And he added, "The selection process consists of two phases. The first phase is the opening of the prequalification process for bidders, and the second phase is the opening of the International Public Bidding where prequalified companies can participate and submit their economic proposals. Subsequently, the project will be awarded, and the concession contract will be signed."
Leonidas Narváez indicated that "thanks to the technical, legal, and financial structuring of the project carried out through the National Development Finance Corporation, the feasibility of the project was defined, commitment of resources was secured through the co-financing agreement signed with the national government, credit limits were approved, and the nation's sovereign guarantee was established to support it, which will be formalized through the signing of the first credit operation between the multilateral banks and the Bogotá Metro Company to finance the project."
Line 2 of the Bogotá Metro (L2MB) will connect the districts of Suba and Engativá with the city center. With this new line, there will be more time for family and less time wasted in traffic jams. It will operate in the districts of Chapinero, Barrios Unidos, Engativá, and Suba. It will span 15.5 kilometers, have 11 stations, generate over 11,000 jobs, and benefit nearly 2.5 million inhabitants.
"This guarantee from the national government for the credit with the European Investment Bank for $50 million dollars is the first of the four guarantees we will process with the multilateral banks. Now we continue with the procedures before the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the World Bank," concluded Mayor Claudia López.
In this video, you can watch the opening event of the international public bidding for the construction of Line 2 of the Bogotá Metro:
