Skip to main content

Panama road project proves controversial

Controversy surrounds proposals to improve a key road link in Panama. The plan is to widen and improve the Panamerican highway stretch in the country’s Panama Oueste Province, between Las Americas bridge and Arraijan. The work is expected to cost in the region of US$335.5 million. However there is concern over the 91ha of forest that will have to be cut down, of which 50ha lies in a national park. Various groups have criticised the Ministry of Public Works for choosing a road alignment that requires forest
October 12, 2018 Read time: 1 min

Controversy surrounds proposals to improve a key road link in Panama. The plan is to widen and improve the Panamerican highway stretch in the country’s Panama Oueste Province, between Las Americas bridge and Arraijan. The work is expected to cost in the region of US$335.5 million. However there is concern over the 91ha of forest that will have to be cut down, of which 50ha lies in a national park. Various groups have criticised the Ministry of Public Works for choosing a road alignment that requires forest to be cut down, saying that other routes could have been considered instead as being more suitable.

Related Content

  • Plans in hand for Colombian highway project
    December 5, 2013
    The Colombian authorities have plans in hand for a US$240 million highway upgrade project. In all, 10 groups have been pre-selected for the tender process for the work, according to a report by Business News Americas. The project is for upgrades and improvements to a 173km stretch of the Puerta de Hierro-Cruz del Viso highway. This work includes improvements to access roads in the area, which lies in Colombia’s northern Sucre, Bolívar and Atlántico departments. The country’s infrastructure agency, ANI, has
  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    February 10, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports. On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt.
  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    April 5, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt. After years of planning some projects were incomplete, there were health scares and a br
  • Strasbourg bypass surveys halted over environmental concerns
    September 27, 2017
    Further delays are looming for construction of the western Strasbourg bypass, a controversial toll motorway project in north eastern France. The government is concerned about environmental issues after Arcos, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Vinci responsible for building the bypass, said it was going to carry out field surveys in 1.5 hectares of what many consider environmentally sensitive areas.