The Autonomous Ports Commission (CEPA - Comisión Portuaria Autónoma) of El Salvador is promoting several mega-projects: the Port of La Unión, the Pacific Airport, the Pacific Railway and the Ruta del Bicentenario railroad line.
The Pacific Train is intended to help the country become more dynamic, especially in international trade. The main objective of the project is to boost exports and imports and transform the country into an international logistics center that will lead in interconnectivity in the Central American region. The project will be implemented in two sections: the first from San Salvador to the port of Acajutla in Sonsonate, the largest and most important port in the country to date, and the second from the port of Acajutla to the border of La Hachadura. In addition to promoting economic and social change, the railroad will create jobs, improve trade flows, promote local development, and mitigate climate change by preventing pollution, since it will use renewable energy.
The commissioning of the Port of La Union will lead to the development of the coastal strip, fishing and aquaculture, the development of tourism and the unification and facilitation of the Salvadoran economy. The development of this structure is embedded in the Cuscatlán Plan of the Government of El Salvador and is a strategic axis of the Pacific Plan, which aims to "promote the development of the country through the integration of the port network, blue economy, social, tourism and connectivity, which includes the great potential of the Port of Acajutla and the Port of La Unión." The bidding process for this project has already begun, and the international public tender for the concession of the Port of La Union is expected to take place in December 2021.
In the plan is a route that will connect El Salvador with other ports and allow more flexible cargo routes on the Pacific Route. The establishment of this Central American trade route will begin with the Port of Caldera in Costa Rica and the Port of La Union in El Salvador. The first phase includes cargo operations, and the second includes passenger mobilization. The route is expected to provide an alternative maritime connection that will accelerate the exchange of imports and exports in the region.
The Pacific Airport, along with the Port of La Union and the Pacific Railway, will provide further connectivity opportunities in Central America. The project aims to transform the eastern Salvadoran zone into a pole of economic development, satisfy the growing demand for passengers from abroad, develop international tourism and activate the port of La Unión. The projects aim to raise El Salvador's profile worldwide as the first country in the region to develop an advanced investment model.
In addition, a viaduct in Los Chorros, one of the busiest feeder routes to the capital, is to be upgraded. The plan is to widen the Panamerica to 8 lanes in sections. This should allow traffic to flow more smoothly and also more safely, both for private traffic and for the transport of goods. Construction work on this project is scheduled to take two and a half years.
Sources Text & Pictures: