{"id":27453,"date":"2026-02-17T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=27453"},"modified":"2026-02-17T03:35:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T08:35:54","slug":"the-longest-tunnel-in-latin-america-took-more-than-10-years-to-build-and-now-connects-two-key-regions-that-were-previously-isolated-by-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/the-longest-tunnel-in-latin-america-took-more-than-10-years-to-build-and-now-connects-two-key-regions-that-were-previously-isolated-by-mountains\/27453\/","title":{"rendered":"The longest tunnel in Latin America took more than 10 years to build and now connects two key regions that were previously isolated by mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

High in the central Andes, a new piece of concrete and steel is changing how an entire country moves. The T\u00fanel de La L\u00ednea in Colombia<\/a> is now the longest road tunnel in Latin America, stretching 8.65 kilometers under the Cordillera Central and turning an old, accident\u2011prone mountain pass<\/a> into a mostly underground commute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For truck drivers hauling coffee and containers, that means fewer gear changes on steep hairpins and less time stuck in foggy traffic jams. For the climate and for nearby rivers and forests, the picture is more complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A record tunnel in the spine of the Andes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tunnel sits around 2,500 meters above sea level, linking Cajamarca in Tolima with Calarc\u00e1 in Quind\u00edo. It is part of the national Cruce de la Cordillera Central <\/a>road project that upgrades about 30 kilometers of the Ruta 40 corridor between the country\u2019s center and the Pacific port of Buenaventura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By diving under the mountain instead of climbing over it, the tunnel and its companion viaducts cut sharp curves and long climbs from the route. Official estimates suggest travel times<\/a> on this stretch drop by roughly 80 minutes for heavy trucks and about 40 minutes for cars, thanks to higher and more consistent speeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Read More: Scientists drill into the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and extract the deepest mantle core ever obtained at 4,160 feet<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For logistics companies that watch every minute and every liter of diesel, that is a big shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shorter routes and smoother slopes usually mean less fuel burned for each trip, which in turn can lower emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tunnel also helps bypass a section of road that had an accident rate several times the national average, especially in bad weather. Fewer crashes can reduce the long tail of traffic jams and extra emissions that follow every major incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mega project wrapped in green promises<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the start, national authorities framed the project as an example of how big infrastructure can coexist with sensitive ecosystems. The corridor crosses the Cordillera Central in an area rich in cloud forest, water sources and wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Ministry of Environment<\/a>, contractors working with the Instituto Nacional de V\u00edas (Inv\u00edas) planted about 2.6 million trees along the corridor, restored 553 hectares of degraded forest, maintained 1,247 hectares of existing plantations and bought another 303 hectares to create new forest reserves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n