Highway to link North and South America

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 34

Highway to link North and South America

(N.Z.P.A.-Reut er—Copyright) CANITAS (Panama). A highway that will link North and South America is slowly taking shape from the jungle fringe town of Canitas in southern Panama. Tractors and bulldozers are cutting through steamy, tropical jungle and engineers are blasting through wooded hills to make the old dream of a pan-American highway come true. “It is the most important project in this part of the world since the construction of the Panama Canal,” said the Panamanian strongman, Brigadier-General Omar Torrijos, as he surveyed the progress of work. As the General talked, wild birds protesting against the invasion of their sanctuary by men and machines made strange noises from the treetops. Panama has to build a stretch totalling 200 miles, and neighbouring Colombia 50 miles, through jungles and swamps, to complete the missing link in the panAmerican highway. From a helicopter, the road appears like a reddish-brown gash on a rough green carpet. Workers are busy on the first stage—an eight-mile stretch southwards from Canitas.

On the first stretch alone, which is expected to be completed in January after a year’s work, three bridges have to be constructed.

Construction costs of the highway are expected to reach SUSIIO million in Panama and SUS6O million in Colombia, of which the United States will pay twothirds and the two Latin American countries one-third.

“The most difficult phases are the eight-mile stretch from Canitas and the last 50 miles in Colombia,” the Public Works Minister (Mr Edwin Fabregh) said. For the first phase, the Panamanians have to build a 1200-foot bridge over the Bayano River. The Colombians, who are still on the planning stage, have to cross the great, largely - unexplored Strato swamp on the Darien gap. Panama also has to pave a 50-mile provisional road from Tocumen to Canitas. About 200 men are engaged in the project, but heavy rains partially halted work until December. Because of the rains, construction work can only go on nine months in a year.

Many workers have been bitten by poisonous snakes but there have been no deaths so far because they came well-stocked with antidotes. The projected highway link between Panama and Colombia has aroused fears that foot-and-mouth disease will spread from South America to Mexico, the United States, and Canada. But Mr Fabregh, an archi-

tect who used to be rector of the University of Panama, is not overly worried. He said a 12.5 mile “sanitary zone,” which will be constantly fumigated, will be set up on both sides of the Panama-Colombia border. A fringe—-but important—benefit from the construction of the highway will be opening up of miles and miles of virgin forest for exploitation.

About 10,000 Indians living in primitive conditions roam these tropical jungles. Some have already been drawn into settlements of thatch-roofed huts on stilts where they cultivate rice and bananas and raise chickens and pigs. General Torrijos said: “We want to assimilate the Indians—not keep them in reservations like museum pieces.”