Bolsonaro visits building site of second Brazil–Paraguay bridge

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew today (Dec. 10) to Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, where he is expected to visit the construction site of the second bridge linking Brazil and Paraguay. The Brazilian leader should also meet with Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez.

With nearly 40 percent of the work concluded, the Brazil–Paraguay Integration Bridge, over Paraná river, should relieve the traffic on Friendship Bridge.

The cornerstone of the second bridge between the two countries was set in May last year. Ascribed to Brazil, the project is being financed by the Brazilian side of company Itaipu Binacional and should connect Foz do Iguaçu to the Paraguayan city of Puerto Presidente Franco. The investment adds up to $86.8 million, considering structure works, expropriations, and the construction of a perimeter road on the Brazilian side, linking the bridge to BR-277.

The project

The cable-stayed bridge will be 760 meters long and have a 470-meter long span, with a road 3.7 meters wide on each lane, hard shoulder 3.7 meters, and the sidewalk, 1.70.

Under the responsibility of the Paraguayan government, a third bridge between the two territories will be erected over Paraguay river, linking the town of Porto Murtinho, in Mato Grosso do Sul, to Paraguay’s Carmelo Peralta. It will be financed by the Paraguayan side of Itaipu and is expected to facilitate Brazil’s access to the Pacific Ocean and open markets for output from the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The investment from Itaipu into the infrastructure works adds up to over $262 million. The project should tackle a number of bottlenecks in local development. Also on this list is the duplication of BR-469, the Cataratas Road, the expansion of the takeoff and landing strip of the International Airport of Foz do Iguaçu and the construction of the Municipal Market of Foz do Iguaçu.