El Salvador legislative assembly backs two signature infra projects

El Salvador’s legislative assembly threw its support behind two of President Nayib Bukele’s signature projects, paving the way for swift construction start.

Both projects, the Pacific airport in La Unión department and the Pacific rail between Acajutla port and La Unión port, crossing San Salvador, are part of the Cuscatlán plan Bukele presented in 2019 on the campaign trail.

While preinvestment studies for both are underway, the legislative assembly approved skipping the need to carry them out under the procurement law to help speed up construction. 

The government may now award the projects under the finance ministry’s acquisition and contracting unit regulation (Unac), which will simplify the selection process. 

Pacific airport

The assembly approved the Pacific international airport construction, administration, operation and maintenance law that allows the project to move to the tendering stage. On Monday, the economic committee already gave the green light.

In a statement, the assembly said the project will be supervised by port authority Cepa, which in 2019 launched the feasibility studies backed by finance ministry funding. 

The five studies were awarded to Spanish-Colombian consortium Peyco-Alben 4000 in 2020. The studies entail the work plan and calendar, a market study, the environmental impact statement, the airport infrastructure study and the economic and financial study. 

The airport is planned to handle 80,000 passengers during its first year of operation.

Pacific train

Meanwhile, the assembly also approved, on Tuesday, another law to help simplify procedures for the Pacific train, which the economic committee greenlighted on Monday.

The Pacific train procedures and administrative simplification law enables the government to speed up tendering and construction, assigned to the public works ministry (MOP). 

The ministry is currently seeking bids for the basic engineering design and public and international firms have been invited to participate, the assembly said in a statement. 

“The basic engineering design has 19 components, including the topographic study, geometric design, hydrological and seismic study, main and complementary structures, implementation of risk and contingency analysis (social and environmental impact),” the statement said. 

According to the government, the freight rail line will connect the eastern and western coasts, but more details will only be defined after all studies are completed.

The first stretch will be built between Acajutla port and Sitio del Niño in La Libertad department and the second between Sitio del Niño and San Salvador, the assembly said.