Editing Transport in Colombia

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[[Image:Carreteras Duplas de Colombia 2024.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dual carriageway]] highways in Colombia, in red]]
[[Image:Tunel de Occidente.jpg|thumb|right|Túnel de Occidente in [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]]. The tunnel was the longest in Latin America until the opening of [[La Línea (tunnel)|La Línea]] in 2020.]]

'''Transport in Colombia''' is regulated by the [[Ministry of Transport (Colombia)|Ministry of Transport]].

Road travel is the main means of transport; 69 percent of cargo is transported by road, as compared with 27 percent by railroad, 3 percent by internal waterways, and 1 percent by air.<ref name=cp>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Colombia.pdf Colombia country profile]. [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (February 2007). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref>

==History==
===Indigenous peoples influence===
[[Image:Muisca raft Legend of El Dorado Offerings of gold.jpg|thumb|right|[[Muisca people|Muisca]] culture golden raft]]

The [[indigenous peoples in Colombia]] used and some continue to use the waterways as the way of transportation using [[raft]]s and canoes.

===Spanish influence===
With the arrival of the Europeans the [[Spanish people|Spaniards brought]] the [[horse]]s, mules and donkey (which developed into the ''[[Paso Fino]]'') used by them in [[ranching]] duties later in the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas]]. Horses contributed greatly to the transport of the Spanish conquerors and colonizers. They also introduced the wheel, and brought wooden carts and carriages to facilitate their transport. The Spaniards also developed the first roads, rudimentary and most of these in the [[Caribbean Region of Colombia|Caribbean region]]. Due to the rough [[Geography of Colombia|terrain of Colombia]] communications between regions was difficult and affected the effectiveness of the central government creating isolation in some regions. Maritime navigation developed locally after Spain lifted its restrictions on ports within the [[Spanish Empire]] inducing mercantilism. Spanish also transported African slaves and forcedly migrated many indigenous tribes throughout Colombia.

===Post-independence===
With the independence and the influences of the European [[Industrial Revolution]] the main way of transport in Colombia became the navigation mainly through the [[Magdalena River]] which connected Honda in inland Colombia, with [[Barranquilla]] by the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the trade with the United States and Europe. This also brought a large wave of immigrants from European and Middle Eastern countries. The industrialization process and transportation in Colombia were affected by the internal civil wars that surged after the independence from Spain and that continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

===Standardization===
During the late 19th century European and American companies introduced railways to carry to the ports the local production of raw materials intended for exports and also imports from Europe. [[Steam ships]] began carrying Colombians, immigrants and goods from Europe and the United States over the [[Magdalena River]].

[[Image:IMG 0639.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Pumarejo bridge]] in [[Barranquilla]]. The bridge serves to cross the [[Magdalena River]] between the [[Departments of Colombia|Departments]] of [[Atlántico Department|Atlántico]] and [[Magdalena Department|Magdalena]]. It is also one of the oldest standing bridges in Colombia.]]

The Ministry of Transport was created in 1905 during the presidency of [[Rafael Reyes]] under the name of '' Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte'' or Ministry of Public Works and Transport with the main function of taking care of national assets issues, including mines, oil (fuel), patents and trade marks, railways, roads, bridges, national buildings and land without landowners.

In the early 20th century roads and highways maintenance and construction regulations were established. Rivers were cleaned, dragged and channeled and the navigational industry was organized. The Public works districts were created, as well as the [[Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Colombia]] (National Railways of Colombia). Among other major projects developed were the aqueduct of [[Bogotá]], La Regadera Dam and the Vitelma Water Treatment Plant. The Ministry also created the [[National Institute of Transit]] (from the Spanish ''Instituto Nacional de Tránsito''), (INTRA) under the Transport and tariffs Directorate and was in charge of designing the first National roads plan with the support of many foreign multinational construction companies.

Aviation was born in [[Barranquilla]] with the creation of [[SCADTA]] in 1919 a joint venture between Colombians and Germans that delivered mail to the main cities of Colombia which later merged with [[SACO (Colombia)|SACO]] to form [[Avianca]].

==Infrastructure==
===Railways===
{{main|Rail transport in Colombia}}
[[File:Mapa de Colombia (ferrocarriles).svg|thumb|200px|Railroads of Colombia]]

Colombia has {{convert|3,034|km|mi|sp=us}} of rail lines, {{convert|150|km|mi|sp=us}} of which are {{RailGauge|1435mm}} gauge and {{convert|3,154|km|mi|sp=us}} of which are {{RailGauge|914mm}} gauge. However, only {{convert|2,611|km|mi|sp=us}} of lines are still in use. Rail transport in Colombia remains underdeveloped. The national railroad system, once the country's main mode of transport for freight, has been neglected in favor of road development and now accounts for only about a quarter of freight transport. Passenger-rail use was suspended in 1992 resumed at the end of the 1990s, and as of 2017 it is considered abandoned (at least for long distances).<ref name="Champin, J. 2016 p. 35">Champin, J., Cortés, R., Kohon, J., & Rodríguez, M. (2016). Desafíos del transporte ferroviario de carga en Colombia, p. 35</ref>   Fewer than 165,000 passenger journeys were made in 1999, as compared with more than 5 million in 1972, and the figure was only 160,130 in 2005. The two still-functioning passenger trains are: one between Puerto Berrío and García Cadena, and another one between Bogotá and Zipaquirá.<ref name="Champin, J. 2016 p. 35"/>   Short sections of railroad, mainly the Bogotá-Atlantic rim, are used to haul goods, mostly coal, to the Caribbean and Pacific ports. In 2005 a total of 27.5 million metric tons of cargo were transported by rail. Although the nation's rail network links seven of the country's 10 major cities, very little of it has been used regularly because of security concerns, lack of maintenance, and the power of the road transport union. During 2004–6, approximately 2,000 kilometers of the country's rail lines underwent refurbishment. This upgrade involved two main projects: the 1,484-kilometer line linking Bogotá to the Caribbean Coast and the 499-kilometer Pacific coastal network that links the industrial city of [[Cali]] and the surrounding [[Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis|coffee-growing region]] to the port of [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]].<ref name=cp/>

===Roads===
{{See also|Highways in Colombia}}
[[File:Mapa de Colombia (red vial).svg|thumb|200px|Main roads in Colombia]]

The three main north–south highways are the Caribbean, Eastern, and Central Trunk Highways (troncales). Estimates of the length of Colombia's road system in 2004 ranged from 115,000 kilometers to 145,000 kilometers, of which fewer than 15 percent were paved. However, according to 2005 data reported by the Colombian government, the road network totaled 163,000 kilometers, 68 percent of which were paved and in good condition. The increase may reflect some newly built roads. President Uribe has vowed to pave more than 2,500 kilometers of roads during his administration, and about 5,000 kilometers of new secondary roads were being built in the 2003–6 period. Despite serious terrain obstacles, almost three-quarters of all cross-border dry cargo is now transported by road, 105,251 metric tons in 2005.<ref name=cp/>

Highways are managed by the [[Ministry of Transport (Colombia)|Colombian Ministry of Transport]] through the [[National Roads Institute]]. The security of the highways in Colombia is managed by the [[Highway Police (Colombia)|Highway Police]] unit of the [[Colombian National Police]]. Colombia is crossed by the [[Panamerican Highway]].

===Ports, waterways, and merchant marine===
[[File:Mapa_de_Colombia_(ríos).svg|thumb|200px|Rivers of Colombia]]

Seaports handle around 80 percent of international cargo. In 2005 a total of 105,251 metric tons of cargo were transported by water. Colombia's most important ocean terminals are [[Barranquilla]], [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]], and [[Santa Marta]] on the Caribbean Coast and [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]] and [[Tumaco]] on the Pacific Coast. Exports mostly pass through the Caribbean ports of Cartagena and Santa Marta, while 65 percent of imports arrive at the port of Buenaventura. Other important ports and harbors are Bahía de Portete, [[Leticia, Amazonas|Leticia]], Puerto Bolívar, [[Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina|San Andrés]], Santa Marta, and [[Turbo, Colombia|Turbo]]. Since privatization was implemented in 1993, the efficiency of port handling has increased greatly. Privatization, however, has had negative impacts as well. In Buenaventura, for example, privatization of the harbor has increased unemployment and social issues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/buenaventura-un-puerto-sin-comunidad-articulo-563958|title=Buenaventura: un puerto sin comunidad|date=1 June 2015|access-date=27 May 2016}}</ref> There are plans to construct a deep-water port at Bahía Solano.<ref name=cp/>

The main inland waterways total about 18,200 kilometers, 11,000 kilometers of which are navigable by riverboats. A well-developed and important form of transport for both cargo and passengers, inland waterways transport approximately 3.8 million metric tons of freight and more than 5.5 million passengers annually. Main inland waterways are the Magdalena–Cauca River system, which is navigable for 1,500 kilometers; the Atrato, which is navigable for 687 kilometers; the Orinoco system of more than five navigable rivers, which total more than 4,000 kilometers of potential navigation (mainly through Venezuela); and the Amazonas system, which has four main rivers totaling 3,000 navigable kilometers (mainly through Brazil). The government is planning an ambitious program to more fully utilize the main rivers for transport. In addition, the navy's riverine brigade has been patrolling waterways more aggressively in order to establish safer river transport in the more remote areas in the south and east of the country.<ref name=cp/>

The merchant marine totals 17 ships (1,000 gross registered tons or more), including four bulk, 13 cargo, one container, one liquefied gas, and three petroleum tanker ships. Colombia also has seven ships registered in other countries (Antigua and Barbuda, two; Panama, five).<ref name=cp/>

===Civil Aviation===
{{See also|List of airports in Colombia}}
[[file:2017 Aeropuerto El Dorado de Bogotá - Vehículos en el muelle nacional.jpg|180px|thumb|Vehicles on the [[El Dorado Airport]] platform]]
[[File:2018 taxis en el Aeropuerto Olaya Herrera de Medellín.jpg|thumb|[[Olaya Herrera Airport]] of [[Medellín]]]]
The [[Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics]] is responsible of regulating and controlling the use of air space by civil aviation. The customs/immigration issues are controlled by the [[Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad]] (DAS).

Colombia has well-developed air routes and an estimated total of 984 airports, 100 of which have paved runways, plus two heliports. Of the 74 main airports, 20 can accommodate jet aircraft. Two airports are more than 3,047 meters in length, nine are 2,438–3,047 meters, 39 are 1,524–2,437 meters, 38 are 914–1,523 meters, 12 are shorter than 914 meters, and 880 have unpaved runways. The government has been selling its stake in local airports in order to allow their privatization. The country has 40 regional airports, and the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Leticia, Pereira, Armenia, San Andrés, and Santa Marta have international airports. Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport handles 550 million metric tons of cargo and 22 million passengers a year, making it the largest airport in Latin America in terms of cargo and the third largest in passenger numbers.<ref name=cp/>

===Urban transport===

Urban transport systems have been developed in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín. Traffic congestion in Bogotá had been greatly exacerbated by a lack of rail transport; however, this problem was alleviated, to a degree, by the formation of one of the world's most expansive and highest-capacity [[bus rapid transit]] (BRT) systems—known as the [[TransMilenio]] (opened 2000)—and the restriction of vehicles through a daily, [[Pico y placa|rotating ban]] on private cars (depending on plate numbers). Bogotá's BRT consists of bus and minibus services managed by both private- and public-sector enterprises.

Since 1995, Medellín has had a modern urban railway, the [[Metro de Medellín]], utilizing two train lines with 27 stations. The Metro also connects with the cities of [[Itagüí]], [[Envigado]], and [[Bello, Colombia|Bello]]. An elevated gondola-cablecar system, the ''[[Metrocable (Medellín)|Metrocable]]'', opened in 2004 to improve Metro accessibility for some of the city's more isolated, dense ''[[Communes of Medellín|barrios]]''. The gondola design was specifically chosen due to the mountainous geography of the city, with most of the neighborhoods served being reasonably higher in elevation from the city center. A [[Bus rapid transit|BRT]] line called Transmetro began operating in 2011, with a second line added in 2013.

Other Colombian cities have also installed BRT systems, such as [[Masivo Integrado de Occidente|Cali]], with a six-line system (opened 2008), [[Barranquilla's Transmetro|Barranquilla]] with two lines (opened 2010), [[Metrolinea|Bucaramanga]] with one line (opened 2010), [[Transcaribe|Cartagena]] with one line (opened 2015) and [[Megabús|Pereira]], with three lines (opened 2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brtdata.org/#/location/latin_america/colombia/|title=Global BRT Data|access-date=22 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=cp/> A future [[Barranquilla light rail|light rail]] line in Barranquilla is planned.

===Pipelines===
Colombia has 4,350 kilometers of gas pipelines, 6,134 kilometers of oil pipelines, and 3,140 kilometers of refined-products pipelines. The country has five major oil pipelines, four of which connect with the Caribbean export terminal at Puerto Coveñas. Until at least September 2005, the United States funded efforts to help protect a major pipeline, the 769-kilometer-long Caño Limón–Puerto Coveñas pipeline, which carries about 20 percent of Colombia's oil production to Puerto Coveñas from the guerrilla-infested Arauca region in the eastern Andean foothills and Amazonian jungle. The number of attacks against pipelines began declining substantially in 2002. In 2004 there were only 17 attacks against the Caño Limón–Puerto Coveñas pipeline, down from 170 in 2001. However, a bombing in February 2005 shut the pipeline for several weeks, and attacks against the electrical gird system that provides energy to the Caño Limón oilfield have continued. New oil pipeline projects with Brazil and Venezuela are underway. In addition, the already strong cross-border trade links between Colombia and Venezuela were solidified in July 2004 with an agreement to build a US$320 million natural gas pipeline between the two countries, to be completed in 2008.<ref name=cp/>

==See also==
{{portal|Colombia}}
* [[Megabús]]
* [[Railway stations in Colombia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Transport in Colombia}}
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.mintransporte.gov.co/ Colombian Ministry of Transport]
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.invias.gov.co/ Invias - Colombian National Institute of Highways]
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.dimar.mil.co/ Colombian Maritime and Fluvial Port Authority]
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.aerocivil.gov.co/ Colombian Civil Aerospace Authority]

{{Colombia topics|state=collapsed}}

{{Americas topic|Transport in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Colombia}}
[[Category:Transport in Colombia| ]]