Road spanning South America to open after delays

[Judi Lynn]

Road spanning South America to open after delays
AFP
Sunday, 21 November 2010

The long-awaited Inter-Oceanic Highway spanning South America is due to be completed next month, after several fitful years of construction and despite early opposition from environmental groups.

The controversial thoroughfare, linking up road networks from the continent's Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coasts, will cross through the Peruvian town of Puerto Maldonado, deep in the Peruvian Amazon.

The 900-million-dollar highway, which involves renovating some 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) of road from Peru's southwest coast to its border with the Brazilian state of Acre, was conceived decades ago.

It has progressed in fits and starts because of funding problems. But now, at long last, it is poised to be unveiled next month, although it remains as controversial today as when it was first proposed.

More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/road-spanning-south-america-to-open-after-delays-2140027.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. See my comment re the general political situation around this super-highway...

...and recent events (most notable, Brazil, Venezuela and others putting up the money to connect Bolivia to it).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4623724

It's a quite interesting situation, with opposite-pole countries--neighbors, Peru and Bolivia--at the Pacific end of this transcontinental highway: Peru, with a corrupt, U.S.-allied and very unpopular government, led by the disgusting Alan Garcia, and Bolivia, with the saintly Morales as president and a hugely popular government. Peru is having an election soon. Oh, boy!