The Brazilian government finally awarded the construction of the international bridge about him Yaguarón River that will unite both countries in a work that will cost 36.5 million dollars and would begin before the end of the year, an important advance in relation to the mutual agreement made at the beginning of last year.
The white senator Sergio Botana broke the news and assured that the government feared the progress of the agreement signed last year. “We were afraid that it would go further in time, but the work was awarded to a consortium of well-known companies. It is a fundamental work for all international trade in the Uruguay”, he commented.
Being a work that would cost about 36.5 million dollars, the bridge will allow an improvement in cargo transit, improving not only the infrastructure of both countries but also logistics and marketing between Uruguay and Brazil since it will facilitate the arrival of merchandise to the port of Río Grande.
“We are very happy with this. Our Chancellery and ours Ministry of Transportation and Public Works “They are very attentive to the execution of the work, because it has to be a well-done work,” Botana added. In that sense, the senator assured that the works would begin before the end of the year since all the conditions and expropriations of lands, both in Uruguay like in Brazil, It’s already done.
Preserve the Barón de Mauá bridge
On the other hand, Botana celebrated the construction of this second bridge due to the government’s intentions to preserve the iconic Barón de Mauá International Bridge that unites the border cities of Rio Branco (Long Hill) with Jaguarão (Rio Grande do Sul).
In this way, it would be transformed into a local bridge for the circulation of light vehicles, while heavy loads would travel over the new one. It is necessary to remember that Uruguay committed to repairing the existing one, which will also require about 8 million dollars.
How are the works progressing in Laguna Merín?
In dialogue with Ámbito, the mayor of Long Hill, José Yurramendi, He assured that the last information obtained was the call for bids by the Brazilian government.
“It has worked well and there are people interested in presenting themselves. At the same time, investors from the Tacuari port They are working to present the consortium to renew all environmental and port licenses. Therefore, in parallel both the work in Brazil of the so-called dredging tender, and in the Uruguay updating the consortium to be able to make the investment in the barge port,” he explained.
The waterway would facilitate the interconnection of water courses from Rio Grande do Sulin Brazil, and the aforementioned Uruguayan departments, together with Maldonado and Lavalleja, According to a report from the Center for Studies of Economic and Social Reality (Ceres) published in 2019.
The comprehensive development of a land area of influence around Laguna Merín would directly impact the industrial activity and production of the region between both countries.
The lagoon basin, together with its tributaries, represents approximately one sixth of the countrywith 33,000 square kilometersand cover an area of 62,250 square kilometers in the binational total. Furthermore, if added to the Brazilian Lagoa dos Patosthe lake ecosystem amounts to 143,000 square kilometers, in a territory inhabited by some 4.5 million people.
Between the benefits of the creation of this waterway, highlight the increase in competitiveness for access to new markets and a possible lowering transportation costs following a new logistics improvement that favors national decentralization.
Source: Ambito
