With the purpose of promoting socioeconomic development, increasing tourism and improving connectivity in the region, Invías delivered to the department of Cesar the first stage of the second carriageway Valledupar-Rafael Escalona-La Paz bridgeproject that had an investment of 85,500 million pesos.
The entry into operation of this corridor, according to the Minister of Transportation, Guillermo Francisco Reyes González, «not only decongests the national passage through La Paz and generates an alternative for connectivity and access to the city of Valledupar, but also reduce travel time from 25 to 9 minutes«.
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The project, which began in March 2021, also contemplated the intervention of 10 kilometers of track and the rescue of the Rafael Escalona bridge, which despite having been built in 1991, had become a white elephant by not having access roads for its use, and today, thanks to the works that were carried out in the area, will allow connecting La Paz with Valledupar, Codazzi, Manaure and the south of La Guajira.
The general deputy director of Invías, Carlos García Montes, highlighted that the entity also undertook the task of recovering the bridge and for this it carried out rigorous studies and designs (auscultation, seismic vulnerability) that determined the need to develop definitions for the designs and works to rehabilitate and expand it.
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«These works that were carried out between August 2022 and January of this year, represent the protection of public spending, increased safety for road users and especially better mobility conditions for the rural and urban sectors”, he added.
Once the mayor’s office of Valledupar has completed the paving in the roundabout of the transport terminal of the same city, The road will begin to operate in two directions.
The Valledupar-La Paz highway has high technical specifications and according to a traffic and demand report, by 2030 it will have use of close to 19,000 vehicles per day. Currently, an average of 12,879 vehicles transit through this road.
