A road connecting Bluefields in the east to the Pacific will be the main factor for development in the area.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) will invest $20 million on building an 80-kilometer track that will connect the Nicaraguan Caribbean with the Pacific, while it obtains financing for the construction of a paved road.
"... The track will be another step closer to having for the first time a connection from the Caribbean to the Pacific, and thus wiil reduce the cost of transportation from Bluefields to the Pacific and back," said Pablo Fernando Martinez, chief of the MTI to Laprensa.com.ni .
The contracts are for patching work, supervision, resurfacing of roads and main pathways, and bridge maintenance, among other things, on the national road network.
The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) is inviting bids for 430 road maintenance projects, through the Road Maintenance Fund, in which about $100 million will be invested.
A previously called into question local company offered lower prices than international consortia who also submitted bids.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) has awarded to the consortium Hernan Solis-La Estrella the construction of the northern stretch of the ring road, at a cost of $141 million. Work will begin in the first months of 2015 and will take 18 months.
An amendment to the Mining Code will allow the National Roads Council to remove materials from rivers and quarries in the public domain.
If the bill under review in the Assembly is passed, the National Roads Authority (CONAVI) may remove materials from areas in the public domain for use in road infrastructure.
An article in Ameliarueda.com states: "The Mining Code currently states that:"The State, through the MINAE, will grant temporary concessions to ministries and municipalities for removing material from ditches in the public domain or quarries in the jurisdiction concerned. These concessions will be extended for a maximum period of 120 days."
Complaints have been made that the bill awarding construction of the Caribbean route to a Chinese company was approved without preliminary drawings, calculation of materials and study of costs.
Grupo Consenso believes that it is "unacceptable" that the Committee on Financial Affairs agreed to accept as reasonable the cost presented by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), in the amount of $465 million.
In a period of 20 years, plans are to build a port in the Caribbean, improve roads in productive sectors and organize public transport.
The International Cooperation Agency of Japan (JICA) and the Nicaraguan government have presented a study on the National Transport Plan of Nicaragua. In a period of 20 years, the plan is to build a port in the Caribbean, improve roads in the productive sectors and organize public transport, all at a cost of $8 billion.
Spanish, Chinese and Costa Rican companies submitted bids for the expansion to four lanes of a 1.7 kilometer stretch of urban road.
The National Roads Authority (Conavi) received six bids for the proposed expansion and renovation of National Route 3, located from the intersection of the factory in Pozuelo Uruca to Jardines del Recuerdo at the Valencia de Heredia.
The Ministry of Transport and Public Works will put the works out to tender at the end of the first quarter of 2014.
From a Press Release by the Presidential House of Costa Rica:
"By signing an addendum to the voluntary agreement between the Association Council for Real Estate Development (CODI) and the National Council for Roads (Conavi) there will be an extension to 5 -lanes of the ring road Santa Ana- Belen two kilometers long, and 4 bridges located on this highway in which an investment of $34 million is estimated to be carried out. The first phase of work will involve the relocation of utilities and will start next January in order to have the necessary space to allow extending the lanes.
The Ministry of Public Works of Panama is putting out to tender the renovation and maintenance of the national road network for 2014.
Panama Government Purchase 2013-0-09-0-99-003335-AV:
"RENOVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ROAD NETWORK YEAR 2014 (Paving Your township) IN THE PROVINCES OF BOCAS DEL TORO, COCLE, COLON, CHIRIQUÍ, DARIEN, HERRERA, LOS SANTOS, PANAMA, PANAMA WEST AND VERAGUAS."
The Government has announced that will negotiate international loans for $920 million for road construction.
The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) said it would be looking to obtain credit with international banks in order to expand three stretches of highway which go towards border crossings. Alejandro Sinibaldi, head of the CIV, confirmed that the three loans could materialize next year.
In Honduras the Continental Bank is to manage a trust fund of $270 million for the construction and maintenance of roads.
This was announced by José Antonio Pineda of the Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnerships (Coalianza). He explained that five banks were involved in the process but Continental was the only one to bid.
"Banco Continental was awarded the management of the trust of this road.
The Mexican company ICA, the Dominican La Estrella, the Chinese Sinohydro and two Costa Rican construction companies are bidding for road works projects worth $115 million.
The Mexican ICA, the Dominican La Estrella, the Chinese Sinohydro were those companies involved in a contest conducted by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) for the construction of the northern section of the ring road in the capital city.
The delay in the approval of the Chinese loan for the construction of the road to Limón suggests the need to consider other options.
The Government of China has set December 31 as the deadline to maintain the conditions of $395 million loan offered to build the road to Limon, but the Legislature could take up to April 30, 2014 to discuss it.
Although the Executive Branch will ask the Chinese government for an extension, the need has arisen to evaluate alternatives so as not to delay one of the most important routes for the country's economic activity.
It will connect the cities of La Hachadura and Pedro de Alvarado, an area where 60% of intraregional trade circulates.
From a press release by the Government of Panama:
The binational working table between El Salvador and Guatemala, responsible for Transport and Infrastructure matters, agreed to build a four-lane bridge at the border between Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado, Guatemala, and La Hachadura, El Salvador, with the aim of improving commercial traffic between the two countries.
The Guatemalan government has announced that it will tender three works valued at $185 million in the first quarter of 2014.
This was stated by the Minister of Economy, Sergio de la Torre. The first project, which will require an investment of between $100 million to $120 million, will be the commuter train that will connect Centra Norte, zone 18, with Amatitlán.