Skip to main content

Guatemala highway upgrade and widening project

Guatemala is opening the tender process to improve and widen the CA-2 Occidente highway connection between Cocales and Tecun Uman. The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) is handling the tender for the project. Cocales is located in Guatemala’s Suchitepequez region, while Tecun Uman is in San Marcos. The highway capacity upgrade has an estimated cost of US$397.2 million to carry out. However, the project has been the subject of some controversy as the Brazilian contractor Odebrec
December 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Guatemala is opening the tender process to improve and widen the CA-2 Occidente highway connection between Cocales and Tecun Uman. The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) is handling the tender for the project. Cocales is located in Guatemala’s Suchitepequez region, while Tecun Uman is in San Marcos.

The highway capacity upgrade has an estimated cost of US$397.2 million to carry out. However, the project has been the subject of some controversy as the Brazilian contractor 1305 Odebrecht was originally handling the work. However the Guatemalan Atttorney General’s office (PGN) ruled that this contract be suspended. Odebrecht was paid 70% of the project’s estimated cost for the work but the legal dispute hinged on the lack of sufficient progress with the construction.

This is not the only highway project in Guatemala subject to legal issues however as a further dispute concerns the work to upgrade and widen the Escuintla-Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado road to dual carriageway status. The project has been handled by contractor Sigma Constructores but CIV has revealed it is also intent on cancelling this deal, signifying that the Guatemalan authorities are increasingly keen to ensure highway projects are handled efficiently and to the required schedule.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Widening works: road user’s nightmare or operator’s challenge?
    March 14, 2017
    Early - and continuous planning - is essential for successful road widening projects. By Nina Sacagiu, project manager, and Laurent Charles-Nicolas, project director, at Egis. Keeping goods and people moving safely is the primary objective of any transport authority across the world. Delivering this objective on motorways and making the most out of network capacity requires all the resources, skills and ingenuity of those in charge of managing the infrastructure. When the network can no longer cope wit
  • Chilean highway project faces questions
    February 14, 2012
    The plans for Chile's new Vespucio Oriente highway are under a question mark at present. The Chilean Construction Chamber (CChC) and the association of concession-holders (COPSA) have raised concerns over the plans by the country's government to press ahead with the construction of the 13km Vespucio Oriente highway in capital Santiago.
  • New bridge and road projects underway for Chile
    December 18, 2013
    Strong bids have been received for Chile’s Puente Industrial road bridge project, which will be built in Region VIII. Bidders included Spanish firm OHL as well as Besalco Concesiones-Concesiones Viarias Chile Tres and Sacyr Concesiones Chile. Work on the 2.5km bridge is expected to commence in 2014 and the project will cost some US$170 million to construct, with completion expected in 2017. The deal for the four lane bridge includes building access roads and involves a 30 year concession package. The Puente
  • Panama plans projects
    March 2, 2012
    Brazilian contractor Odebrecht will carry out a major project in Panama City worth US$778 million.