PanamaTimes

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Puente Binacional sobre el río Sixaola

Inauguration of binational bridge between Panama and Costa Rica

The binational bridge over the Sixaola River, on the border between Panama and Costa Rica, a work of 25 million dollars with financing from Mexico, was inaugurated this Thursday with the aim of improving connectivity, trade and promoting tourism in that area. banana plantation and nearby beaches.
The project was inaugurated by the Foreign Ministers of Panama, Erika Mouynes, and of Costa Rica, Rodolfo Solano, and, together with the Ministers of Public Works Rafael Sabonge and the Costa Rican, Rodolfo Méndez Mata, and the Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for Latin America and the Caribbean of Mexico, Maximiliano Reyes Zúñiga.

The work, which replaces a dilapidated centennial bridge, is 260 meters long and 16.4 meters wide, consists of two lanes, sidewalks and bike paths on both sides, and will benefit at least 15,000 residents of Guabito (Panama) and Sixaola (Costa Rica), according to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the person in charge of the project.

"It is a project that is highly demanded by the communities" in the border area, the UNOPS regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Italian Fabrizio Feliciani, told Efe.

Migration data cited by the UN office indicate that during 2019 a total of 152,070 people crossed this border between Panama and Costa Rica.

"There is a lot of tourism that travels on this side of the border through the nearby beaches", said Feliciani, who stressed that the new structure is "a sustainable bridge, it has two important bicycle lanes," which may contribute to the tourism issue in the future.

In the towns of Guabito and Sixaola there is a high presence of native peoples, blacks and migrants related to the banana activity, all of them with indicators of economic and social development well below national averages, according to UN data .

"We are joining lives! The Binational Bridge over the Sixaola River will positively impact relations between Panama and Costa Rica, forging better social, economic and commercial development," the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) of Panama wrote on its Twitter account.

Construction of the binational bridge began in 2018 at a cost of 25 million dollars, of which 10 million are non-reimbursable resources from the Infrastructure Fund for Mesoamerican and Caribbean Countries of Mexico, while from the governments of Panama and Mexico they contributed 7.5 million dollars each.

One of the greatest challenges was "coordination, it is a trinational project, it is part of a project in Mexico to promote Central American integration (...) it has meant coordinating with 35" Mexican, Costa Rican and Panamanian institutions, "the complexity was very great," Feliciani commented.

"Thanks to the international cooperation of Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica, starting today this new bridge will connect thousands of people who annually cross the Sixaola River between Panama and Costa Rica," said the Panamanian Foreign Minister, Erika Mouynes.

The project has been managed and executed by UNOPS, and was built by the Sixaola Binational Consortium, made up of the Meco companies of Costa Rica and the Mexican companies Cal & Mayoi y Asociados and Mexpresa.

At its peak, the work generated up to 250 jobs through a fair hiring of workers from both countries belonging to neighboring communities.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×