Spotlight: 4 CentAm, Caribbean infra projects to start construction in 2023

Several Central American and Caribbean countries are planning to start major infrastructure projects next year.

The projects stand out either by size, investment amount or impact.

Belize II bridge

Guatemala has earmarked US$680mn for the communications, infrastructure and housing ministry (CIV), which is overseeing 1,450 infrastructure projects, among them the Belize II bridge.

The bridge is planned to provide alternative access to Guatemala City from the CA09 Norte highway. Works also involve new viaducts and complementary infrastructure.

It will connect the city’s zones 1, 2 and 6 with zones 18 and 17, as well as reorganizing the city's road network in the area and improving transit. In October, the ministry awarded Grupo Muratori the 1.79bn-quetzal (US$222mn) contract to design and build the bridge. The group was the only bidder.

Meanwhile, Guatemalan NGO Acción Ciudadana filed a legal measure earlier this month, alleging corruption in the award of the 89.6mn-quetzal contract to supervise design and construction to D&D Ramírez.

Cabo Rojo international airport

The US$3bn Pedernales tourism project in the Dominican Republic’s Cabo Rojo province remains one of the most ambitious ones. Construction on an aqueduct and an airport is planned to start in 2023.

Tenders for building the airport and conducting the pre-construction studies are being prepared. The contract to carry out geotechnical and altimetry studies of the potential construction site was awarded to International Engineering Group at the end of November.

On November 4, the government enabled a tour of the site for representatives of companies interested in building the airport. According to PPP authority DGAPP, representatives from Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) took part and showed interest.  

Los Chorros highway

The US$400mn highway is among El Salvador’s biggest infrastructure projects. It includes the construction of the Francisco Morazán viaduct and the widening of highway CA01W (Los Chorros) to eight lanes in the Santa Tecla, Colón, and San Juan Opico municipalities, La Libertad department.

The three-phase expansion is part of the country’s western corridor masterplan to improve mobility and safety, and boost trade through better logistics.

South Korea's Eximbank and the Inter-American Development Bank will provide financing.

Earlier this month, South Korea’s Dohwa Engineering and a consortium formed by South Korea’s Pyungh Engineering and Spain’s Intecsa-Inarsa bid in the tender for the contract to supervise the works, according to the public works ministry (MOP).

The entities had previously presented technical proposals, which are under evaluation, while the economic bids will be opened once this stage concludes on January 31.  

The bids for the construction contract will be received on January 31 and congress recently approved tax breaks for the project.

Honduras hospital network

Construction is set to start on three hospitals next year to help modernize Honduras’ poor health infrastructure.

In August, health minister José Manuel Matheu said Spain will grant a US$70mn loan for the facilities. Honduras’ ambassador to Spain, Marlon Brevé, was reported as saying that an agreement signing date will be scheduled, adding the hospitals will be built in the municipalities of Olancho, Santa Bárbara and Ocotepeque. 

However, “medical supply tenders for hospitals and healthcare centers are usually rigged, overpriced and with shady deals to favor certain suppliers,” Jorge Paz, president of the college of civil engineers, told BNamericas. “The same happens with some infrastructure projects, with overpricing, poor-quality construction works, or excessive delivery schedules.”