The expansion and rehabilitation work on the CA-8 Oriente route, which connects El Molino, Oratorio, in Santa Rosa, and the Valle Nuevo border, in Jutiapa, continue in different segments of this strategic route for communication between Guatemala and El Salvador.
The project contemplates the modernization of approximately 63 kilometers of highway through the rehabilitation of existing lanes and the incorporation of two additional lanes.
According to information shared by the Guatemalan News Agency (AGN), earth moving work is currently being carried out between El Molino and Oratorio, including cleaning, cuts and land adaptation.
Likewise, the section between Jalpatagua and Valle Nuevo also registers progress in paving through the placement of a new asphalt layer.
The work is developed by the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV), through the General Directorate of Roads (DGC), and seeks to improve the capacity of the route that connects municipalities such as Oratorio, Jalpatagua, Moyuta and Pasaco.
However, part of the work on the route had already been carried out in previous years. As explained by infrastructure analyst Delfino Mendoza, in 2022 the previous administration contracted the rehabilitation of the Jalpatagua-Valle Nuevo subsection, 19.5 kilometers long, for an initial amount of Q37.38 million.
“In 2022, the previous administration contracted the Jalpatagua-Valle Nuevo subsection, with a length of 19.5 kilometers and an initial cost of Q37.38 million, which to date is completed,” said Mendoza.
Extension contract remains undefined
In addition to the recent works, there is a contract awarded to the SIGMA Group to expand the entire road corridor to four lanes. However, Mendoza pointed out that said project has been in force for more than a decade and that only a part was carried out in the vicinity of the municipality of Oratorio.
The analyst explained that the work was suspended due to lack of financing, so the CIV must define whether to continue with the current contract or if it chooses to end it and re-tender the work, once new engineering studies are carried out.
“There is a contract with the SIGMA Group that dates back many years, to expand the entire section to four lanes, but only a small part was worked on in the municipality of Oratorio and, due to lack of financing, the work was suspended,” he stated.
According to Mendoza, another alternative would be to wait for the entry into operation of the Priority Public Infrastructure Directorate (DIPP) to contract the project in accordance with the new procedures planned for that entity.
The DIPP will be the entity in charge of providing maintenance and attention to the country’s main road corridors, including the Central American routes. However, it has not yet come into effect and has accumulated several delays in its schedule.
Decree 29-2024, Priority Road Infrastructure Law (LIV), which gave life to the direction, stipulated that it had to come into operation 12 months after its approval. However, the budget structures have not yet been approved, nor have the regulations been issued or the evaluation of the state of the priority road infrastructure concluded.
Pending construction of new border bridge
Another project linked to the route is the construction of new border bridges agreed between Guatemala and El Salvador. According to the bilateral commitment, El Salvador would build the Anguiatú and Manuel José Arce bridges, while Guatemala would be in charge of the El Jobo bridge, on the Valle Nuevo border.
However, Mendoza indicated that this commitment has not yet materialized and that only repair work was carried out on the existing bridge. “Only a repair was made to the existing bridge, but the engineering studies for the construction of the new bridge remain to be carried out,” he noted.
According to Mendoza, the General Directorate of Roads contracted, around 2018, the studies for the construction of the new structure. However, these were not completed due to disagreements between Guatemala and El Salvador over the location of the bridge.
Mendoza added that the contract must be settled and, subsequently, a new tender be called to develop the pending studies.
Financing of studies remains undetermined
The specialist indicated that the Guatemala No Se Detiene Preinvestment Financing Fund offered support to the CIV to finance the necessary studies for the new border bridge. However, the proposal was not accepted.
According to Mendoza, the authorities reported that they were carrying out negotiations with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to obtain a donation to finance the studies and, subsequently, seek resources for the construction of the work.
“To date this proposal has not been formalized,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the CIV continues with the expansion and rehabilitation work on the CA-8 Oriente, one of the main connection routes between the southeast of the country and the border with El Salvador.