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In the News from Panama

Major Highway Plan Moves Forward

Work is progressing on a major new highway that will connect the north and south corridors of Panama, Government officials announced this week. The $300 million construction will extend on the work of the east corridor, which was completed seven years.

With the continued work on the metro and new roads like the Cinta Costera, Panama is making big strides in addressing traffic around the capital. 

The project will focus on the interconnection of the north and south corridors through the Metro Park sector of the Juan Diaz area, not far from where the last World Youth Day was staged, National Highway Company (ENA) officials told La Prensa.

The project will also expand the roadway to six lanes, as well as facilitate the entrance and exit to this highway with the expansion of the racetrack junction and a new junction from Costa del Este. The goal is to improve the “vehicular flow during the busiest hours, especially in the afternoons, when hundreds of users seek access to the South corridor towards the center of the city,” the paper reports.

The projects will take years to develop, but many of the foundation elements and studies could happen in the short term, said Dionys Sánchez, ENA’s Technology Manager. Private money will be used to develop the new highways, Sanchez said, similar to past projects.