For decades, Antioquia has operated at a structural disadvantage: it has no direct access to the sea. Cargo moving by sea has traditionally depended on ports like Cartagena, Buenaventura, or Barranquilla, with long and costly overland routes to reach the region. Two ongoing projects are changing that picture: Puerto Antioquia, already operational, and Túnel del Toyo, the road infrastructure still needed to connect that port to the department’s production hub in competitive travel times.
Puerto Antioquia is already operating, and delivering results
Puerto Antioquia, located in Nueva Colonia, Turbo, entered commercial operation on February 5, 2026, under a resolution from the Ministry of Transport. Since then, the terminal has built up its operating capacity with several milestones:
- Received the CMA CGM Dignity, a Neo-Panamax vessel measuring 366 meters with capacity for 14,800 TEU, the largest ship the terminal has handled to date.
- Handled its first Main Liner service, with Maersk’s CAX route.
- Was cleared to export coffee, bringing the grain closer to international markets.
- Shipped its first perishable export — Hass avocados and cut flowers — to Europe, with reported reductions of up to 70 % in transit time and 30 % in logistics costs.
The terminal has a 1,340-meter dock, five berthing positions, and a 16.5-meter draft, specifications that allow it to handle large-scale vessels.
The missing link: the overland connection
Having an operational port doesn’t solve the logistics problem on its own if cargo can’t reach it in reasonable time. That’s where Túnel del Toyo comes in, part of the Vía al Mar Gonzalo Mejía Trujillo.
Once the full corridor is complete, the Medellín–Urabá trip would drop from more than 7 hours to around 4.
Antioquia’s Governor’s Office and the City of Medellín recently confirmed the breakthrough of túnel cero, in Santa Fe de Antioquia. Here’s where the project stands:
| Section | Progress |
|---|---|
| Section 1 (Giraldo – Cañasgordas), including the 9.7 km main tunnel | Civil works 100 % |
| Section 2 (Santa Fe de Antioquia – Giraldo) | 80 % complete |
The Governor’s Office projects finishing all physical works by December 2026. However, the main tunnel can’t open without the electromechanical systems installed by Invías. That phase would take between 11 and 17 months, putting commercial operation around June 2027. Colombia’s Comptroller General has previously warned of a possible larger gap between civil works and equipment installation, so this date should be taken with some caution.
What this means for Colombian logistics
- Less dependence on Cartagena and Buenaventura for cargo originating in or bound for Antioquia and the coffee region.
- New direct export routes for coffee, flowers, and avocados, already in use.
- A logistics hub closer to the country’s production center, with implications for warehousing and distribution decisions.
While Túnel del Toyo completes its final phase, Puerto Antioquia keeps operating and adding clients. For companies in the sector, it’s worth evaluating now how this new route could fit into their supply chain.
Sources
- El Colombiano — Puerto Antioquia receives its largest-ever Neo-Panamax vessel (Spanish)
- El Tiempo — Puerto Antioquia opens a new logistics era for Colombia (Spanish)
- El Colombiano — Puerto Antioquia received the Maersk Monte Verde (Spanish)
- El Colombiano — “With Puerto Antioquia, coffee logistics costs drop 30–40%,” Asoexport (Spanish)
- El Tiempo — Puerto Antioquia opens the door to Europe: the historic avocado and flower export (Spanish)
- Gobernación de Antioquia — “We’re closer to Antioquia’s sea”: Túnel 0 breakthrough (Spanish)
- El Tiempo — Comptroller’s warning: Túnel del Toyo won’t be able to operate until 2028 (Spanish)
- YouTube — Report on Túnel del Toyo’s progress (Spanish)
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