Mesa launching Ventilla-Tarapaya hwy. ops

President Carlos Mesa is scheduled to launch operations this week of the 84km Ventilla-Tarapaya stretch of southern Bolivia's Potosí-Oruro highway, the presidency announced. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) financed the US$28.7mn project, which included US$2.47mn for supervisory and US$5.30mn for environmental works, according to the statement. Works, which started in December 2001 and wrapped up in June this year, included asphalt paving and building a 117m bridge, dubbed Luis Belmonte. The project is designed to enhance transit between the departments of Potosí and Oruro, helping the country's production and export sectors.