The new highway Xochi, Corridor of Flowersnot only seeks to streamline mobility on the South Coast, but also stands out for the magnitude of the infrastructure built along its 31 kilometers between Suchitepéquez and Retalhuleu. The project, which will begin operations on June 14incorporates a series of works designed to overcome the geographical conditions of one of the regions with the greatest commercial and tourist activity in the country.
The road will have four lanes, two in each directionand was designed under international road engineering standards. Along the route were built 23 bridgeswhich allow you to overcome ravines, rivers and natural slopes, in addition to guaranteeing the continuity of traffic at different points of the corridor. These structures were developed simultaneously by several specialized companies during the construction phase.
The infrastructure also includes 18 vaults, four viaducts and more than 20 large drainage systemsworks that seek to improve stormwater management and reduce risks during the rainy season. To develop the project it was necessary to use more than three million cubic meters of materialmaking it one of Larger scale private road interventions recently executed in Guatemala.
The corridor extends from the kilometer 142.5 in San Antonio Suchitepéquez until the kilometer 173 in San Andrés Villa Seca, Retalhuleucrossing municipalities such as Santo Domingo, San Lorenzo, Mazatenango and Cuyotenango. The highway was divided into three sections of approximately 10 kilometers each. The first two have nine bridges each, while the third incorporates five additional structures to complete the connection between both departments.
In addition to the road, the project includes the development of Xochi Cityan urban planning initiative planned for about 200 hectares in Suchitepéquez, where commercial, logistical, service and green space areas are planned. In this way, the Flower Corridor not only represents a new transportation route, but also a work that seeks to strengthen the connectivity, infrastructure and economic development of the South Coast.
Key facts about Xochi infrastructure
- Total length: 31 kilometers
- Location: Suchitepéquez and Retalhuleu
- Start: km 142.5, San Antonio Suchitepéquez
- End: km 173, San Andrés Villa Seca, Retalhuleu
- Lanes: four (two each way)
- Bridges: 23
- Vaults: 18
- Viaducts: four
- Drainage systems: more than 20
- Material used: more than three million cubic meters
- Sections: three segments of approximately 10 kilometers
- Maximum speed allowed: 80km/h
- Estimated investment: Q1 thousand 200 million
- Design standards: AASHTO and SIECA standards
- Projected users: more than 22 thousand daily
- Complementary development: Xochi City, 200 hectare urban project