Bolivia advances in road corridor project connecting to Mato Grosso

The planned stretch on the Bolivian side will be 129 kilometers long. On the Brazilian side, connection works are already underway. The proposal is to create a route capable of connecting Bolivia to the Atlantic Ocean, through Porto Velho, in Rondônia, and opening Brazil a new alternative access to the Pacific Ocean, passing through Bolivian territory.

The signing took place during the celebrations of the 278th anniversary of San Ignacio de Velasco, a Bolivian city located close to the border with Mato Grosso. The event brought together authorities, businesspeople, rural producers and representatives of the logistics sector from both countries.

In addition to paving the highway, the project foresees the installation of a bonded customs post, considered strategic to facilitate the flow of goods, reduce bureaucratic obstacles and strengthen commercial relations between Brazil and Bolivia.

The political articulation to get the project off the ground also included the participation of state deputy Valmir Moretto, cited by regional leaders as one of the defenders of the road connection between the two countries. The mobilization also involves the Government of Mato Grosso and representatives of municipalities along the border.

Route used for years

The connection between the two regions is already used by drivers, producers and truck drivers, but the condition of the dirt road has always been identified as one of the main obstacles, especially during the rainy season.

Driver Jair Barros dos Santos, who has been traveling the route for work for around 15 years, reported that the road has faced quagmires and periods of closure during floods. For him, the progress of the project represents a change awaited for decades by those who depend on the crossing.

The new route is also seen by the production sector as a way to reduce logistics costs. Businessman Eraí Maggi argued that the connection could benefit producers on both sides of the border, especially due to its proximity to existing structures in Porto Velho.

According to him, part of Bolivian production currently travels longer distances to reach ports, while the connection with Mato Grosso can shorten journeys and improve competitiveness in grain transport.

Access to the Pacific

The president of the Brazil-Bolivia Integration Commission, Pedro Lacerda, stated that the paving and installation of customs should expand connections with ports in the Pacific Ocean, such as Arica and Iquique, in Chile.

According to Lacerda, the new route could represent a reduction of almost 2 thousand kilometers in relation to other logistical corridors currently used for exports.

The corridor could also impact trade in agricultural inputs. Producers in Mato Grosso will be able to have more direct access to urea produced in Bolivia, a fertilizer widely used in agriculture. In return, Bolivian trucks will be able to transport products and return loaded with soybeans to supply oil industries and other segments.

For Cristian Méndez, vice-governor of the province of José Miguel de Velasco, the integration between Mato Grosso and Santa Cruz has the potential to transform the region into a strategic axis for distributing cargo between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The expectation is that, with the completion of the sections and the structuring of customs, the border between Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade and San Ignacio de Velasco will play a more relevant role in international trade and in the flow of agricultural production from South America.