The national highway PY04 “General José Eduvigis Díaz”, the main connection route between the department of Ñeembucú and San Ignacio, in Misiones, presents an advanced state of deterioration that worries drivers, transporters, and residents of the region. The huge potholes multiplying along the road, especially between kilometers 65, 70, 74, and 80, turn the journey into a constant danger for those who need to travel daily on the road.
The situation is even more critical at the bridge abutments, where deep potholes force drivers to make abrupt maneuvers to avoid accidents or mechanical damage. On rainy days, the problem worsens, as many potholes become covered by water and become practically invisible to motorists.
Road users denounce the lack of maintenance and question the absence of concrete responses from the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC). Weeks ago, the head of MOPC District No. 12, Pedro Cantero, had announced repair work with asphalt carpet and the arrival of specialized workers from the town of La Paz, in the department of Itapúa, but so far the tasks have not been carried out.
Transporters say that traveling on PY04 has become a daily odyssey, especially for large trucks carrying containers to the ports of Pilar. Added to this is the intense movement of heavy vehicles carrying rice grains from the productive areas of Villa Oliva and Villa Franca to the departments of Misiones and Itapúa.
Drivers report that the potholes not only cause damage to tires, suspension, and front ends of vehicles, but also represent a permanent risk of head-on collisions, as many motorists have to invade the opposite lane to avoid the potholes. Residents of the region lament that the road has been practically abandoned after the end of the maintenance contract under the Rehabilitation and Maintenance Contract (CREMA) modality with the company Topografía y Caminos SA (T&C SA). Since then, deterioration has advanced rapidly without sustained interventions by national authorities.
Complaints are intensifying because PY04 constitutes a strategic corridor for cargo transport, productive activity, and the connection of several communities in the south of the country. Meanwhile, users continue to demand urgent intervention before a tragedy occurs on a road that shows more signs of abandonment every day.