The World Bank’s Executive Board has approved a US$100 million project aimed at rehabilitating and improving the management of 174 kilometers of the CA-13 Highway in Honduras. This strategic corridor, which connects La Ceiba and Puerto Castilla, will benefit approximately 615,000 people, including women, Indigenous groups, and Afro-descendant communities. The initiative focuses on enhancing road safety, climate resilience, and regional connectivity, while also creating local employment opportunities with a specific emphasis on involving women in road maintenance.
The CA-13 Highway, crucial for trade and tourism, suffered severe damage during Tropical Storm Sara in 2024, underscoring its vulnerability. The project, titled “Resilient Management of the Road Corridor between La Ceiba and Puerto Castilla,” will utilize a long-term Rehabilitation and Maintenance Contract (CREMA). This contract model, already proven effective in countries like Brazil and Argentina, will ensure sustainable infrastructure management and more efficient use of public funds. Special contract clauses will address resilience to extreme weather and aim to reduce Honduras’ high road mortality rate of 19 deaths per 100,000 people.
The project supports the Honduran government’s goals of inclusive and sustainable development by enhancing infrastructure in historically underserved regions. It will also contribute to economic development by improving access to essential services and fostering growth in sectors such as logistics, trade, and ecotourism, especially in the Atlántida and Colón departments.
In addition to physical improvements, the initiative includes strengthening institutional capacity for sustainable and climate-resilient road asset management. The project represents the second World Bank-financed road infrastructure investment in Honduras within the past year and will also receive co-financing from Spain’s Development Promotion Fund (FONPRODE).
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