Caracas-La Guaira highway
Encyclopedia
The Caracas-La Guaira highway is a freeway that connects Caracas
, the capital of Venezuela
, to the port city of La Guaira
. It is the primary route between Caracas and the coast, including the main international airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport
. The highway was constructed from January 1950 and was finished by the end of 1953 with a huge cost. It was originally a toll road
. The 20-mile highway replaced two tortuous two-lane roads through the mountains and reduced the trip between its endpoints from several hours to half an hour. The entire highway has four lanes.
One of the viaducts along the route, known as Viaduct #1, was plagued by gradual landslide
s from the 1980s onward. In the 1967 Caracas earthquake
it suffered severe deformations due to the displacement of the hill and the failure of Gramoven Tacagua. The bases of the supports shifted toward the center of the span, causing the supports to crack and the span to buckle upward. Venezuelan governments made constant repairs to strengthen the supports and stabilize the span, but did not develop a long-term solution. The government closed the highway as a safety precaution on January 5, 2006. The sudden isolation of Caracas from the coast prompted political accusations by the opposition against Hugo Chávez
's government, and by Chávez supporters against previous governments' failure to deal with the problem. A narrow and steep detour
around the viaduct opened on February 28, and the viaduct span fell on March 19. Construction began later that year on a replacement viaduct, which opened on June 21, 2007.
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, the capital of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, to the port city of La Guaira
La Guaira
La Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
. It is the primary route between Caracas and the coast, including the main international airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport
Simón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)
Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
. The highway was constructed from January 1950 and was finished by the end of 1953 with a huge cost. It was originally a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. The 20-mile highway replaced two tortuous two-lane roads through the mountains and reduced the trip between its endpoints from several hours to half an hour. The entire highway has four lanes.
Tunnels and Viaducts
Since the highway was constructed on rough terrain, it was necessary to build three viaducts and two tunnels along the route.- Boqueron Tunnel #1 is 1910 metres
- Boqueron Tunnel #2 is 497 metres
- Old Viaduct #1 was 300m
- New Viaduct #1 is 900m
- Viaduct #2 is 270m
- Viaduct #3 is 215 m.
One of the viaducts along the route, known as Viaduct #1, was plagued by gradual landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s from the 1980s onward. In the 1967 Caracas earthquake
1967 Caracas earthquake
The 1967 Caracas earthquake occurred on 29 July 1967 at 20:00 local time, and was centered near the coast about 30 miles west of Caracas, capital of Venezuela with a magnitude of 6.5. When the earth stopped shaking, about 240 inhabitants were dead and hundreds injured and buried in the rubble where...
it suffered severe deformations due to the displacement of the hill and the failure of Gramoven Tacagua. The bases of the supports shifted toward the center of the span, causing the supports to crack and the span to buckle upward. Venezuelan governments made constant repairs to strengthen the supports and stabilize the span, but did not develop a long-term solution. The government closed the highway as a safety precaution on January 5, 2006. The sudden isolation of Caracas from the coast prompted political accusations by the opposition against Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
's government, and by Chávez supporters against previous governments' failure to deal with the problem. A narrow and steep detour
Detour (road)
A detour or diversion route is a route around a planned area of prohibited or reduced access, such as a construction site.Standard operating procedure for many road departments is to route any detour over roads within the same jurisdiction as the road with the obstructed area.On multi-lane highways...
around the viaduct opened on February 28, and the viaduct span fell on March 19. Construction began later that year on a replacement viaduct, which opened on June 21, 2007.