Chile’s crowded roads face further congestion

Road congestion is a growing problem in Chile as the country’s vehicle fleet is fast outstripping road capacity. In 15 of the county’s major urban areas, the vehicle fleet is growing 10 times quicker than the rate of road construction.
June 21, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
RSS

Road congestion is a growing problem in Chile as the country’s vehicle fleet is fast outstripping road capacity. In 15 of the county’s major urban areas, the vehicle fleet is growing 10 times quicker than the rate of road construction.

This finding is based on a study carried out between 2010 and 2015 by the Secretariat for Transportation Planning (SECTRA). The report reveals that total road length in the cities of Iquique-Alto Hospicio, Greater Valparaiso, Greater Santiago, Talca, Linares, Chillan-Chillan, Viejo, Greater Concepcion, Osorno, Puerto Montt, Ancud, Castro, Quellon and Coyhaique grew by 3% from 25,738km in 2010 to 26,446km in 2015. Unfortunately the vehicle fleet in the same cities jumped a massive 34% from over 1.7 million to nearly 2.3 million. Meanwhile the total distance travelled by cars in 2015 was 32,256,266km, an increase of 79.3% from the 17,983,382km in 2010.

Meanwhile there has also been a corresponding drop in the efficiency of public transport. SECTRA suggests that the city authorities need to start building roads, and fast. At the same time, more and better public transport is desperately needed according to SECTRA. Chile’s fast growing vehicle population has been a side effect of its strong economy.

Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • Worrying decline in road safety in US
    July 4, 2016
    There has been a worrying increase in traffic fatalities in the US, according to the latest available information. The data has been released by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), showing that traffic fatalities for 2015 were 7.7% higher than for 2014. Road deaths reached 35,200 in 2015, compared with 32,675 in 2014. The data reveals a disquieting trend as the US road fatality rate for 2015 was the highest for seven years. While the total distance travelled by US drivers increase
    Read More
  • New Chilean highway opening
    August 25, 2016
    A major new highway link in Chile is now open to traffic. Sacyr Concesiones opened the 103.4km highway that connects the cities of Concepción and Cabrero. The link is located in Chile’s Bio Bío Region and cost US$360 million to develop, while it is expected to generate some $1.027 billion throughout the length of the concession period. Work to build the highway started in June 2012 and the link is intended to improve connectivity between Concepción and Cholguán in the Bio Bio Region, and will also join w
    Read More
  • 70 million trips a year on privatised motorways in Chile by 2015
    November 28, 2012
    The number of journeys on privatised motorways in Chile will increase 23% to 70million a year by 2015, according to the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). The MOP says electronic tags will be more common by then. Along Five South motorway alone, the MOP predicts there will be 16million journeys a year by 2015, 3million more than at present. The government is said to be working on various projects to ease traffic along these roads. Route 5, Autopista del Sol; and Route 78, Santiago-Valparaiso and Santiago-Los A
    Read More
  • Chilean highway upgrade planned
    January 13, 2022
    A key Chilean highway upgrade is being planned.
    Read More

Highlighted Content