US$45.5 million to upgrade roads in densely populated areas of Guayaquil

(Quito, January 23, 2012).- CAF – Latin American development bank – approved a US$45.5 million credit to support the City government of Guayaquil, Ecuador, in implementing its Program of Road Works in Densely Populated Areas of the city.

The program consists of 11 projects involving construction and rehabilitation of road infrastructure, building a food market and other civil works in various low-income barrios. CAF will finance, specifically, five of these projects with respect to civil works, environmental supervision and management plan.

"The project is a response to increased demand due to the growth of the city and will contribute to the integrated improvement of vehicular traffic and community health," Hermann Krützfeldt, CAF director representative in Ecuador, said.

The general aim of the program is to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the low income areas where the most vulnerable population lives, particularly in the Northeast (Pascuales parish), and Southeast and West (part of Tarqui, Febres Cordero, Latamendi and Ximena).

The works will improve levels of service and traffic congestion, reduce air pollution and improve health levels, connect barrios with collector roads of the city and improve road safety conditions.

To achieve these objectives, the Program aims to improve trunk and collector roads, paving of streets, and construction of sidewalks and curbs in low income barrios, as well as the building of a food market.