South American infrastructure projects advance: Chile's Zapallar bridge and Paraguay's Bioceanic Corridor

Chile’s Ministry of Public Works reports that the new Zapallar bridge on route N‑655 over the Diguillín River has reached 11 % physical progress. The structure will link San Ignacio and El Carmen in the Ñuble region, with an estimated investment of more than 6.19 billion Chilean pesos and a planned inauguration in July 2027. Local officials are urging that the temporary “puente mecano” currently serving traffic not be reassigned elsewhere before the permanent bridge is completed.

In Paraguay, the Bioceanic Corridor (PY15) between Mariscal Estigarribia and Pozo Hondo is nearing completion of its main embankment on Lot 2, with 53 km of the planned 59 km platform already built – nearly 90 % finished. Soil stabilization work is at 88 % and the cement‑soil layer at 69 %. Funded by the Fonplara development fund, the corridor aims to connect Atlantic ports in Brazil with Pacific ports in Chile, enhancing regional trade and creating local jobs in the Boquerón department.