To consolidate the current transportation system in the Aburrá Valley, a new tramway is being constructed along the 80th Avenue corridor in Medellín, Colombia. The new 80th Avenue Tramway will connect more than one million residents in 32 neighborhoods, upgrade fundamental road interchanges, and integrate with the current Metro system. Arup conducted the first stage value-engineering study and led the multidisciplinary studies to refine its design.

We conducted a three-day workshop for evaluating and optimizing the proposed design with Arup engineers, planners, architects, and consultants from across the globe. From these discussions, the project team aligned on the idea to construct the tramway at ground level, removing the long viaducts included in a previous design. By creating a dedicated lane to separate the streetcar from car traffic along the entire line, and by integrating safe paths for crossing and bike lanes, the design ensures walkability and bicycle mobility as well as promotes the use of public transport over personal vehicles.?We also conducted a study to identify, understand, and prevent any potential environmental risks.  

The 80th Avenue Tramway is part of a larger effort by Colombia’s National Government to transform infrastructure throughout the country. The new tramway will include 17 stops across the western side of Medellín, integrating three existing Metro stations to connect residents across 32 neighborhoods. The main findings from our environmental analysis demonstrated that key concerns would involve air and noise pollution, as well as the logging of nearby trees. Arup implemented environmental programs that incorporated these findings to guide the construction of the new tramway.  

A train on street level tracks
The at-grade tramway will connect more than one million residents across Medellín

Generating cost savings and economic benefits 

Our initial-stage consultations on the tramway resulted in significant cost savings and economic benefits. Through comprehensive cost analyses, Arup provided significant savings for Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN), an infrastructure financing corporation that is majority-owned by the government of Colombia. Arup estimated both the capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) for the 80th Avenue Medellín Tramway and contributed ideas to optimize cost savings, such as advising on the removal of design elements for the streetcar line, including viaducts, heavy structures, and multiple depots. By helping FDN envision a fully at-grade transit system, Arup created savings by eliminating the cost of constructing bridges and other structures to elevate the tramway. Arup also recommended the inclusion of a single depot for the streetcars based on our demand forecasting, which resulted in a reduced cost for construction without compromising feasibility. In total, Arup’s recommendations created a CAPEX saving of approximately 30% for the project.?? 

Spurring economic benefits for the community 

As one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Medellín since the construction of Metro A line, the 80th Avenue Tramway will help to revitalize the city. Serving 180,000 users per day, the new streetcar line will foster urban renewal for the westside of the Medellín. The at-grade streetcar line design includes the addition of public areas and green spaces, and through the integration with the existing Metro, the new tramway will foster economic development across the line. In addition, the construction of the project will generate an estimated 1,500 jobs, along with thousands more upon the line’s completion. 

Partners & collaborators

Cano Jiménez