Honduras News Archives: transportation

Taxis Takeover Roadway in Protest

Drivers of taxis and minibuses this morning overtook the access road to the Cerro Grande neighborhood, northeast of the capital of Honduras, causing chaos and backed up traffic in the area.

Residents of Cerro Grande and Kassandra had to walk at least a mile to access transportation to take them to their workplaces.

The carriers prevented passage toward the center of Tegucigalpa, calling for the Honduran authorities to repair the section of road that has remained for months in poor condition. The drivers argue that their vehicles are affected by the current situation.

In October of last year, the same neighborhoods protested the road condition and lack of sanitation and clean water. Again at the end of November, a protest was held. According to residents, the completion of the road was abandoned by the construction company responsible due to lack of payment by the government authorities a year ago.

New Transportation for San Pedro Sula

Beginning Monday, Sampedranos will have a new transportation option that makes it cheaper and faster to travel from the center of the industrial capital to the Grand Bus Terminal, and vice versa. On December 20th, the railroad passenger train will start its service to the community.

Lester Aguilar, manager of the National Railway of Honduras, (Ferrocarril Nacional de Honduras [FCN]), announced that on Friday there will be a celebration for the long awaited train service. In attendance on this historic day will be the President of the Republic, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and Soptravi Minister, Miguel Pastor, who is also the chairman of the board of the FCN.

The celebration will start at 4:30 pm; therefore, the Railway authorities are advising the public that at 3:00 pm on Friday, the roads will be closed along first avenue between the first and third streets northeast, and the second avenue northeast, because of the event to take place.

The Railway Manager Aguilar also revealed that on Saturday, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, children of the city accompanied by their parents, will be able to travel on the passenger train for free. He said it was Soptravi “Minister Pastor’s idea to have the rides benefit the small, as they are the ones most in need of a Christmas present.”

Aguilar said that “to begin, only two cars will run, with 60 seats, but, depending on its acceptance, we will add additional cars. We already have the tickets, and citizens will only pay five lempiras to ride the train.”

The Soptravi Minister said, “the revival of the railway will provide a transportation alternative that is cheaper and faster at a price within reach of all those in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Be it tourists who visit, or those who reside in San Pedro Sula.”

Dieter Quiroz, Deputy Manager of the FCN, said that each car will be guarded by soldiers and policemen to provide security to the traveler.

Passage Collapses Between Trujillo and Tocoa

The Department of Transportation, Housing and Public Works announced that travelers who use the Aguán overpass must choose the alternate route between Trujillo and Tocoa due to the collapse of The Burra bridge this morning.

The bridge gave way at approximately 8:00 am this morning from the current of the Aguán river. Without the 60 meter passage way, Trujillo is basically without access to the rest of Honduras. Work began on at least 35 miles of unpaved road in the area, as the alternate path is not an easy alternative. It will take one through some beautiful scenery, passing African Palm plantations, and sites of interest, such as a Sula milk processing plant and a Honduran military base. This route would add an extra two hours to the journey, providing one does not become stuck in the mud.

The Burra bridge and three others had collapsed in Colón in October of 2008, during tropical storm number 16, which seriously affected the infrastructure in Honduras. The phenomenon occurred after almost two weeks of continuous rain in Honduras, and devastated some 15 departments of the national territory. At least 34 Hondurans were killed and another 300 thousand were directly affected.

Then, the Honduran government installed bailey bridges. They were eventually to be replaced with permanent funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), according to the Director of Soptravi, Miguel Pastor. After the political crisis, funding disbursements were delayed, and the work was put on hold.

Mr. Pastor announced that the first disbursement of the IDB is to be used for constructing bridges for Cuyamel and Aguamaría in Colón, Pataste in Olancho, and Costa de los Amates in Valle.

Germaco, the company in charge of the works, “will mobilize immediately to Colón for the construction of The Burra bridge. The Burra bridge is a priority,” according to Mr. Pastor.

The IDB approved a loan of more than 200 million lempiras for carrying out infrastructure works Honduras,