Just a few years after its inauguration, the Bioceanic Route already has potholes of significant magnitude that endanger drivers and damage vehicles. The deterioration has reignited questions about the quality of this multi-million dollar project.
An accident recorded on Thursday morning at kilometer 63 of the highway, in Loma Plata, Boquerón Department, resulted in the overturning of a cattle truck and the death of six animals. The driver, Nicolás Obregón Giménez, reported that he lost control of the vehicle after hitting a pothole, culminating in the accident.
The section connecting Loma Plata to Carmelo Peralta was officially inaugurated in 2022, during the government of Mario Abdo Benítez, but the bidding process was conducted during the administration of Horacio Cartes. The work was executed by the Bioceanic Road Corridor Consortium (CCVB), comprised of the Brazilian company Queiroz Galvão S.A. and the Paraguayan construction firm Ocho A S.A., owned by senator Luis Pettengill.
The project had an initial cost of US$443 million, but the state will end up disbursing approximately US$732 million when adding the interest on financing obtained by the contractor through the issuance of bonds with a sovereign guarantee.
Local residents and drivers reported that this particular pothole has already caused damage to several vehicles in recent days, showing that this is not an isolated incident. The commander of the Loma Plata Volunteer Fire Department, Sergio Koch, made a video warning of the danger and asked the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) to intervene urgently.
The MOPC reported that the case has already been forwarded to the Route Maintenance Department, which will be responsible for carrying out the repair work.