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.

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