Construction of La Paz-Oruro divided highway will promote inclusion projects for communities

With a loan for USD 250 million granted by CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, the 204 Km. long La Paz-Oruro divided highway was concluded. The project, considered of strategic importance for the country, is at the service of the Bolivian population.  

Emilio Uquillas, CAF's Director Representative in Bolivia, highlighted the benefits of the highway, such as the boost to the national economy, social progress in neighboring communities, and the improvements in connectivity between productive centers and new markets.  In addition, he pointed out that the new divided highway will promote internal connectivity and develop the foreign trade corridors with neighboring countries, specifically Brazil, Chile, and Peru. "This operation ratifies the substantial contribution that CAF makes to the development of the road-productive infrastructure of Bolivia", he concluded.  

The road, with its new characteristics, improves travel times and it is expected to reduce the accident rates resulting from lane changes. 

CAF's loan financed 80% of the construction cost of the La Paz-Oruro divided highway. The amount was complemented with resources from the Governments of the two Departments. 

The highway was 7 meters wide with 1-meter shoulders at each side of the road. The project consisted in alternating the construction of a parallel road with the widening of the road, taking advantage of the same platform, based on the topography of the ground. Thus, a divided highway was built, with two lanes on each direction throughout the whole highway.