The Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY) opened vehicle traffic on Tuesday over a mixed viaduct connecting the Espírito Santo, San Juan, and San Rafael neighborhoods in the district of Cambyretá, Itapúa department. The structure, 16.70 meters long, crosses Adolfo Ariste Street, which was upgraded over a 141-meter stretch.
The work is part of the first stage of the plan to replace 7 km of railway, running from the head of the San Roque González International Bridge to Route PY06, through neighborhoods of Encarnación and Cambyretá. The viaduct has a lower tunnel for the tracks and, on the upper part, received earthworks, retaining walls, concrete structures, drainage, paving, and regulatory signage, including guardrails and New Jersey barriers.
The opening ceremony was attended by EBY's Paraguayan executive director, Luis Benítez; the mayor of Cambyretá, Jaime Hinterleitner; as well as parliamentary, departmental, and local authorities, and local residents. Benítez stated that he personally supervised the progress of the work to ensure the quality that distinguishes the entity's projects. “This infrastructure is part of the comprehensive project for the new railway layout in the region. It satisfies us to open this section and move toward the full completion of the railway crossing,” he said.
Mayor Hinterleitner highlighted that the work “marks a before and after in the community's connectivity” and thanked EBY for its commitment. Arnaldo Cañete, president of the neighborhood commission, expressed gratitude: “From being a neighborhood forgotten by previous EBY administrations, today we have become one of those with the most modern road infrastructure. It is a radical change and gives us a lot of hope.”
After the viaduct opening, work will focus on other bridges and grade-separated crossings in Cambyretá neighborhoods, with the aim of normalizing the use of road sections involved in the project. EBY reported that the work corresponds to the first stage of the railway replacement plan, while work on the railway crossing continues.