The El Rancho-Teculután section, on the CA-9 North, has become a strategic corridor for the transportation of goods. According to Herlindo Herrera, director of the Logistics Guild of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry (CIG), around 60% of the country’s international trade is moved through this route.
“We are talking about textiles, raw materials, imports and exports that go to Puerto Santo Tomás de Castilla and Puerto Barrios. It is the backbone of our country’s foreign trade,” he stated.
The matter was addressed in La Charla, a segment of Guatemala No Se Detiene broadcast by Guatevisión every Monday at 10 p.m. On this occasion, Herrera and Brenda Santizo, spokesperson for the Traffic Department of the National Civil Police (PNC), participated. The space was moderated by Rocío Lazo.
On this stretch of road, the expansion from two to four lanes is contemplated, a project that seeks to speed up the transit of private vehicles and heavy transportation. The work is part of the road infrastructure financed through a loan acquired by Guatemala with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Santizo highlighted the relevance of this route for national mobility. “We are talking about one of the main axes where mobility and commerce converge. It is a point that connects from Puerto San José to Puerto Barrios, where there is a greater load of heavy transportation,” he indicated.
For Herrera, greater road capacity would have effects on different sectors of the economy. “More fluidity of merchandise, more road safety and more commerce, which translates into more work for people. The costs of the basic basket will also decrease because transportation costs can be reduced,” he noted.
Accidents on the road
In addition to its importance for foreign trade, the CA-9 North is among the highways with the highest incidence of traffic events in the country. According to data shared by Santizo, between January and April of this year, 1,134 traffic events were recorded on the country’s main roads. Of them, 169 occurred on CA-9 North. “We are talking about the fourth route with the highest accident rate in our country, one of the routes with the greatest mobility and where we observe the most traffic and complications,” he explained.
The spokesperson indicated that the incidents that occurred on this section represent approximately 15% of the traffic events recorded on the routes with the highest incidence.
Santizo pointed out that the expansion of the highway will increase traffic capacity, which requires additional prevention and road safety measures. “We are doubling the capacity of this highway. There will be greater mobility, a greater number of vehicles and potentially more road traffic if the corresponding measures are not taken,” he indicated.
He added that cargo transportation represents an important factor in the risk dynamics on the route. “There are aspects such as checking the status of the load, avoiding overloads, respecting speed limits and rest times. People would have to be much more cautious and prudent,” he said.
Santizo recalled that road safety depends on multiple factors. “We are talking about infrastructure, the state of the vehicles, road safety education and the imprudence that may be committed. All of these aspects affect traffic events,” he stated.
Economic losses
Delays and congestion on this route also have economic implications for exporting and importing companies. Herrera explained that transfer times can affect the fulfillment of international logistical commitments.
“It is not only the time that transportation takes. Exporters have to comply with schedules at the ports. If they do not manage to arrive on time, they may face fines or significant economic losses,” he said.
According to the director of the Logistics Guild, delays can generate million-dollar costs for companies, especially when the cargo is destined for international markets.
“The product arrives towards the west coast of the United States and, if it is not possible to reach the port on time, the cargo may be lost or fines may be received. These fines can represent millions of quetzales and mean a significant economic loss both for the trade and for those who participate in the logistics chain,” he stated.
Herrera added that the route concentrates a significant part of Guatemalan foreign trade, so any interruption or delay has effects on economic activity. “We are talking about an infrastructure that is the backbone of our country,” he said.
Likewise, he highlighted that the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) has a relevant role in advancing the execution of the expansion project. “Guatemala for decades has been behind in the construction of road infrastructure,” he said.
The business representative pointed out that logistics competitiveness also influences the country’s ability to attract investments and maintain its position compared to other Central American countries.
“We compete with Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. They already have an advantage over us. Logistics infrastructure is a factor that companies take into account and that is why this work is important for the country’s competitiveness. Otherwise, in the coming decades we will suffer from cargo going to neighboring countries,” he expressed.
It is urgent to start construction
Although the project already has financing and is part of the country’s priority road infrastructure, it still faces challenges related to the right of way and coordination between different institutions to advance towards its execution.
For Herrera, delays in strategic works also send signals to potential investors who evaluate the country’s logistical conditions before setting up operations.
“For foreign investment it is a bad sign because it does not provide legal certainty nor does it meet all the conditions needed to attract investment. Logistics is a very important part and roads connect ports, cities and borders,” he stated.
The director of the Logistics Guild explained that transportation infrastructure is one of the factors that companies take into account when investing. “An investor is evaluating the logistics and that is why it is a priority that this work be carried out. It would help us improve our investment levels,” he said.
For his part, Santizo indicated that the expansion of the highway also requires the involvement of public institutions and road users to guarantee safer mobility.
“Government institutions have responsibilities in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, but pedestrians and drivers are also actors in this system,” he said.
The spokesperson recalled that the vehicle fleet continues to grow every year. According to him, the number of vehicles increases around 9% annually, while motorcycles register increases of close to 13%.
Likewise, he highlighted that the majority of traffic events are associated with decisions that can be prevented. “90% of traffic events are a consequence of individual decisions that can be avoided. People who circulate through these spaces must act with prudence and responsibility, especially while improvements in road infrastructure are being developed,” he commented.
Planning required during construction
Both experts agreed that the execution of the expansion will require detailed planning to minimize the effects on mobility while the work is carried out.
Santizo pointed out that it will be necessary to coordinate logistical aspects, define alternative routes and establish measures that allow vehicle flow to be maintained on one of the roads with the highest heavy transportation traffic in the country.
“From the logistics and coordination to establish alternative routes, it must be analyzed that this can also increase, in some aspects, traffic events. We must have clear and concrete strategies to benefit the drivers who travel through these sectors without punishing them,” he indicated.
The spokesperson added that the project must consider preventive actions to reduce risks during the construction stage. “It does not have to be taken lightly. Action routes must be well established to satisfy these needs and not further harm the population, knowing that the benefit of increasing lanes will come later,” he stated.
For his part, Herrera pointed out that, from the perspective of industry and commerce, this is a strategic work for the country’s connectivity and for the movement of goods. “This is not a normal work. It brings us competitiveness, road safety, economic development and growth,” he said.
The director of the Logistics Guild indicated that constant communication and adequate organization during the execution of the project will be key to reducing temporary effects on route users.
“As a private initiative we understand that during construction we will have to face more queues and temporary delays, but we hope to obtain the benefits that this work can generate for the country,” he mentioned.