A study involving the Market 4 Directorate, the Municipality of Asunción and engineering students from Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic University (UC) proposes turning one of the three theoretical vehicle lanes on Rodríguez de Francia Avenue, in front of the market, into a protected pedestrian area. The idea is to keep two lanes open and flowing for vehicles and create a separation between the exits of the commercial corridors and traffic.
During peak hours, double-parking, loading and unloading operations without set times, and shoppers walking on the asphalt effectively reduce the avenue to a single usable corridor. The situation causes congestion and exposes pedestrians to the risk of being hit by buses and trucks.
Civil engineer Vanessa Sandoval explained that the first stage could use low-cost measures, with a test structure to create a buffer space between the sales points and the pavement. The aim is to provide consumers with a protected area without initially relying on a major permanent construction project.
The plan also foresees defining logistics points where trucks would unload goods through the work of handcart operators, avoiding blockages in the buses’ path. Another area involves regularizing more than 100 sales points that have occupied the roadway for more than 20 years.
For Alejandro Buzó, director of Market 4, the proposed intervention is part of the master plan for the reorganization of Market 4, developed with academic participation and intended to strengthen the commercial and tourism value of Asunción’s traditional market.
The proposal is still at the study stage. The information released sets no deadline for the start of the interventions and does not indicate that the plan has received final approval from the Municipality of Asunción.