Key road projects in Venezuela have stalled

A series of key road projects in Venezuela have fallen victim to the country’s overall financial paralysis, a result of its plummeting economy and its disastrous political climate. Insufficient finances have seen work to construct the La Verota-Kempis, Circunvalacion Sur-Caracas and Caracas-La Guaira highways now being stalled for two years. Although these projects were deemed priorities to develop transport in the capital Caracas and the immediate area around the city, Venezuela’s financial crisis has resulted in the delays. Although the Ministry of Transport hopes to be able to restart construction, it is not clear where the necessary financing will be sourced from. Construction work has only been carried out on a 4.4km section of the 36km La Verota-Kempis highway that will connect Barlovento to Los Valles del Tuy so far. Some earthmoving work has been carried out for the the 32km Circunvalacion Sur-Caracas highway that will connect La Rinconada with Caricuao. The construction of this section of highway will be complex as it will feature 13 tunnel sections as well as eight viaducts. Although Portuguese contractor Teixeira Duarte won the tender to build a 7km link between Cota Mil and Caracas-La Guaira, work is also stalled on the project.