US$1bn loan approved for new bridge in Argentina

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$1 billion credit package for a new bridge over the Paraná River in northeast Argentina.

The two provinces are currently connected by the two-lane General Manuel Belgrano Bridge (Photo: By Jara-Arroyo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The board approved a US$700 million credit line as well as a US$345 million first loan to build a bridge between Chaco and Corrientes, as well as access roads.

The US$345 million loan will fund the initial construction phase, project supervision, and socio-environmental mitigation. It has a 25-year repayment term and a 5.5-year grace period. The loan will also be matched with a US$100 million local contribution.

The two provinces are currently connected by the two-lane General Manuel Belgrano Bridge between Resistencia and Corrientes, but this has become insufficient for traffic demand.

The plan is to construct a four-lane bridge 9km away, featuring a 772m cable-stayed span, 5.6km of viaducts, in addition to 28km of associated highway.