It’s happening. The official plans to expand the Corredor de las Playas (Beach Corridor) section of the Pan-American Highway between La Chorrera and San Carlos are out and soil testing has begun. According to the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), the total project — a 50km stretch — is valued at $892 million and will be built by a consortium formed by FCC Construcción and Operadora CICSA. The plans now include expanding the highway to six lanes with overpasses (viaducts) and detours around the towns dotting the way. MOP has already released images regarding the design of the project.

“Corredor de las Playas” projected route | Source: MOP

 CLICK ON THIS EXCITING VIDEO> VIDEO PROJECTION OF THE "CORREDOR DE LAS PLAYAS"

In addition to the expansion to six lanes of the Pan-American or Inter-American highway, the construction of a "viaduct" is planned at the end of the Arraiján-La Chorrera highway, near La Espiga.

According to the information released by the MOP, it will be a vehicular overpass that will start on the highway and that will connect with the Interamerican highway, keeping under the bridge lanes for the flow of vehicles that do not cross the fast track.

Diversions in villages

According to the projection of the MOP, the project includes the construction of what has been called "solutions" and which are new deviations parallel to the current Inter-American highway. The first detour is in the town of Capira. The new road will pass behind the center of this town which is currently one of the "bottlenecks" identified by the Traffic Police whenever there is an increase in vehicular traffic in that sector, on weekends or during national holidays.

The detour, with which the passage through the center of the town of Capira is avoided, will also have exchanges for the entrance of the vehicles. The next detour will be located on Cerro Campana , where something similar to the previous, will occur in the town of Capira. In this sector, a highway parallel to the current Inter-American highway will be built, where a vehicular "traffic jam" also occurs, and which will connect again with the Inter-American highway after said hill.

Finally, the longest "solution" will be the construction of a third deviation parallel to the Interamerican highway that will avoid vehicular traffic through the center of the communities of Bejuco, Chame, and Coronado through which the international highway passes. Drivers can continue to use the Interamerican highway; only they will have the option to go through the new detour to avoid passing through the center of populated areas, according to the projected design.

According to the MOP, with the realization of these works in the province of West Panama, the aim is to reduce traffic accidents along the international highway and reduce the risk of accidents with pedestrians who also pass through this route. In addition, with the expansion of the Inter-American highway to six lanes, the MOP expects to decrease the traffic congestion that is usually recorded in the beach area where the road infrastructure work will be executed.