The bridge project being planned to connect Asuncion and Chaco'I in Paraguay may now need a design revision. The bridge will span the Paraguay River, which carries heavy volumes of water traffic.
Local shipbuilders have said that the proposed bridge, with its 22m clearance height, will not be sufficient to allow large vessels to pass underneath and will adversely affect ship traffic as a result, impacting on economic activity along the river. The shipbuilding organisation, Cafym, is calling for a new bridge design with a clearance height of 29m.
The project is expected to take three years to complete, with the work costing an anticipated US$134 million. A significant portion of the financing needed to pay for the 450m bridge is being sourced from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).
The site of the bridge is close to Paraguay’s border with Argentina and building the new link will help boost transport and trade between the two countries.
