Skip to main content

Chile’s highway plans crucial for economy

Chile’s highway development programme is crucial to the country’s future economic growth. That is the finding of a study by the OECD. According to the report, a 27% increase in highway development is required around Chile’s around cities and ports by 2030. This is because Chile's economy relies heavily on exports. However, a possible hold-up could come from delays facing key highway projects at present. In particular, delays due to environmental assessments are holding back progress with three transport lin
May 19, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Chile’s highway development programme is crucial to the country’s future economic growth. That is the finding of a study by the OECD. According to the report, a 27% increase in highway development is required around Chile’s around cities and ports by 2030. This is because Chile's economy relies heavily on exports. However, a possible hold-up could come from delays facing key highway projects at present. In particular, delays due to environmental assessments are holding back progress with three transport link projects. The projects have already been awarded to concessionaires. Work on the US$870 million Americo Vespucio Oriente highway has been delayed for 37 months as the project has yet to receive an environmental permit. Work on the $130 million New Industrial Bridge over the Biobío River has been delayed by 28 months while work on the $120 million El Melon Tunnel has been delayed by 10 months. The Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC) has voice its criticisms of the environmental assessment process as it does not have any specific time limits. Instead the CChC has called for better coordination between State bodies.

Related Content

  • TRA 2014 showcases the best of cutting-edge transport research and thinking
    July 1, 2014
    Despite tight finances due to the current global economic climate, the recent Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2014 show in Paris showed how innovative transport research, largely using cutting-edge ITS, is creating safer and smarter highways of the future. Guy Woodford reports How far can you drive around a car race track with no other vehicles on it on half a glass of fuel while attempting to maintain a speed of 60kph? After taking up the challenge offered by the Eco Driving Simulator using SiVIC (Simulatio
  • Bridge collapse disaster in Baltimore
    March 26, 2024
    A ship collision has caused a highway bridge collapse in Baltimore.
  • Huge investment for Moscow’s motorway routes
    May 1, 2015
    Huge investments being made in building several outbound routes in Moscow and the Moscow region – Eugene Gerden writes. Up to US$20 billion (900 billion Roubles) will be invested in the building of several outbound routes in Moscow and the Moscow region during the next few years, according to an official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Transport. It is planned that the routes will be built as flyovers above the railroad tracks in the Yaroslavl, Kazan, Riga and Paveletskaya directions of the
  • Brazil: Dnit proposes suspending 61 projects due to lack of funds
    May 9, 2016
    Brazil's national department of transport infrastructure, Dnit, has approved a proposal to suspend work on 29 road projects across 12 states. The approval comes after severe budget cuts this year and the number of affected works could increase to 61. Dnit noted, however, that no work will be immediately stopped and that current contracts will be maintained. The proposal will now go before the Ministry of Transport and Planning and the Office of the Chief of Staff before it can receive final approva