In Antioquia, engineers are doing something that sounds like science fiction to many drivers, carving almost ten kilometers of tunnel through a mountain and filling it with smart systems that can “feel” what happens inside.
The Toyo Tunnel project, with 39 tunnels and 43 bridges along its full corridor, is turning a hard mountain route into a modern highway powered by German technology and adaptive AI tools.
What makes the Toyo Tunnel such a big deal
The main tunnel, known as Tunnel 17 or Toyo Tunnel, measures about 9.7 kilometers, which makes it the longest road tunnel in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America.
It has a single carriageway eight meters wide, sidewalks of one meter, and a parallel rescue gallery of almost ten kilometers, with emergency connections every 200 meters.
Around it, the project adds complementary tunnels, bridges, and access roads, totaling roughly 37–39 kilometers of new infrastructure.
The planned speed limit is 80 km/h, a big change from the slow and risky curves that drivers know today between Medellin and Uraba.
How AI and German technology work inside a tunnel
The project does not have a talking robot at the portal, but it does use AI and automation where they matter most, in excavation, safety, and operations.
Tunnel boring machines (TBM) with German “adaptive intelligence” adjust pressure and speed according to the hardness of the rock, helping prevent collapses and making excavation more efficient.
Inside the finished tunnel, sensors track ventilation, temperature, and gas levels, while structural monitoring systems watch for small movements or stress changes in the lining.
In the future, traffic cameras and control software will help manage congestion, detect incidents, and support quick responses, turning the control center into the real “brain” of the system.
Digging under 900 meters of mountain
Building such a tunnel is not only about gadgets. Engineers face a mountain almost 900 meters thick from the road to the summit, plus complex geology and water.
The works have required removing about 1.7 million cubic meters of rock and carefully managing pressure conditions so that workers and machines stay safe.
Because of these challenges, the project started in 2018 and has moved through several technical phases, including excavation, lining, and now preparation for installing electromecanical systems.
Despite delays and cost increases, the corridor keeps advancing, and authorities see it as a key piece of Colombia’s long‑term transport plan.
Who pays for the tunnel and why it matters for trade
The Toyo Tunnel is not a cheap experiment. Its estimated cost went from about US$473.6 million to over US$710.5 million with projections of an extra US$197.3 million to finish pending sections.
Financing is shared between the national government, which contributes roughly US$142 million the Antioquia government, with about US$205 million, and Medellin, with near US$136 million.
For them, the logic is simple, a shorter, safer road between Medellin and Uraba could cut travel times by hours and make ports in that region more competitive for cargo coming from the interior.
Better logistics mean lower transport costs, more stable supply chains, and new chances for local producers to reach national and international markets.
When drivers will actually use the “intelligent” tunnel
Even with advanced progress, the tunnel is not open yet. Reports indicate that lining work is almost complete and that electromecanical equipment will be installed over the next months.
Authorities speak carefully about dates, but the expectation is that traffic will start to use the corridor in the next few years, in stages, as remaining segments and systems are tested.
A glimpse of how future roads may look
The Toyo Tunnel project shows how classic civil engineering and digital tools can work together. Concrete, steel, and rock remain the main characters, but sensors and software quietly watch everything that happens.
If the tunnel meets its promises on safety and travel time, it could become a model for other routes in Colombia and Latin America, where mountains still turn short distances into long, exhausting trips.