The World Bank's Executive Board has approved a $100 million project to rehabilitate and manage 174 km of the CA-13 Highway in Honduras. This highway is a crucial corridor for the country, and the project aims to improve road safety and climate resilience, benefiting approximately 615,000 people. The initiative will also focus on creating employment opportunities, especially for women.
The CA-13 connects La Ceiba and Puerto Castilla, with a section damaged by Tropical Storm Sara in 2024. The "Resilient Management of the Road Corridor between La Ceiba and Puerto Castilla" project will use a long-term Rehabilitation and Maintenance Contract (CREMA) to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Infrastructure improvements will include rebuilding bridges to withstand extreme weather.
Christian Duarte, Secretary of Finance of Honduras, stated that this project aligns with President Xiomara Castro's vision of building a resilient and equitable country. Andrew Kircher from the World Bank Group noted that the improved road management would boost trade, logistics, and ecotourism in Atlántida and Colón.
The project also aims to strengthen institutional capacity for sustainable road asset management amid climate challenges. It marks the second World Bank financing effort for Honduran road infrastructure within a year. Additional funding will come from Spain's Development Promotion Fund (FONPRODE).