Highway 10 (Panama)

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Highway 10

Carretera 10 (Spanish)
Alto Boquete–Gualaca-Ngäbe-Buglé–Chiriquí Grande Road
Highway 10 highlighted in red
Route information
Length104 km[1] (65 mi)
Major junctions
From Highway 41 in Alto Boquete
Northeast endChiriquí Grande
Location
CountryPanama
Highway system

The Highway 10 (Spanish: Carretera 10)[a] is a primary road that connects several towns located in the Chiriquí Province such as Alto Boquete and Gualaca with the port of Chiriquí Grande. The road passes the Fortuna reservoir as well as the mountainous area of Bürí in the district of Jirondai in Ngäbe-Buglé.

History

Highway 10 passing around the Fortuna Dam located in the Province of Chiriquí

In 1987, the Inter-American Development Bank loaned approximately $16.7 million for the improvement of Panama's road system, among the projects financed included the rehabilitation of parts of Highway 10.[b] In the late 80s, it was reported that the cutting of forests as well as the leveling of the land for the construction of Highway 10 along with the Bocas del Toro oil pipeline caused strong landslides in the border area between the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro.[4]

During the course of the 90's, most of the sections of Highway 10 connecting Chiriquí with Bocas del Toro were completed with the objective of integrating the province to the Panamanian road system, although part of the natural forests of the province had to be deforested for the construction of the highway.[c] In 2008, flooding in the province of Bocas del Toro affected more than 40 kilometres of Highway 10. In 2009, it was reported that the Gualaca to Rambalá sectors of Highway 10 were heavily affected by landslides in the mountainous area of Bocas del Toro causing overland traffic in the province to be temporarily paralysed.[6]

In early 2020, it was reported that the rehabilitation process of Highway 10 had reached 24% progress, the budget for this project was approximately 44,875,800 USD by the Ministry of Public Works in collaboration with the Panamanian companies of Constructora Urbana S.A (CUSA) and Constructora de Infraestructura Internacional S.A (CIISA).[7] In mid 2020, the road was partially affected by hurricanes Eta and Iota, which devastated part of the infrastructure on the Atlantic coast of Central America.[8]

At the end of 2021, the Ministry of Economy and Finance approved several projects for the allocation of funds necessary for rehabilitation of the Bocas del Toro road system, where approximately 6.3 million balboas were invested for maintenance works of the Highway 10 sections between Gualaca and Chiriqui Grande.[9]

In mid 2023, several sinkholes were reported on Highway 10 around the Verrugosa sector located in the Burí Corregimiento of Ngäbe-Buglé.[10]

Route description

Chiriquí Province

The road begins at the intersection of Highway 47, colloquially known as the David-Boquete Road, located in Alto Boquete, then the highway goes much further east across the Chiriquí Nuevo River and then crosses the Barrigón Creek and goes much further south until it reaches the urban centre of Gualaca.

From there, the highway heads northeast through the mountainous area of Chiriquí, where Highway 10 passes around Cerro La Fila to reach the rural locality of Bella Vista,[11] then heads to the locality of Los Planes, subsequently the road passes around Cerro Bella Vista and then the Estí River. The Highway goes much further north where it enters the Fortuna Forest Reserve and connects the town of Valle de las Minas, then crosses the Hornito River and the Embalse de la Fortuna and heads to Ngäbe-Buglé.

Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca

The Highway passes briefly through this comarca, specifically for the District of Jirondai. In this section, the Highway 11 passes through the Central Mountain Range of Panama (Cordillera Central de Panamá), specifically through the localities of Verrugosa, Willy Mazú and Cabello de Ángel,[12] the route subsequently heads to Bella Vista and then passes through the Guabo River where it heads to the town of Malí in the border with Bocas del Toro.[13]

Bocas del Toro Province

Highway 10 heads much further north and crosses the Cañaza Creek, where it crosses the urban centre of Rambalá, then intersects Highway 11 and goes much further east across the Margarita River to the urban centre of Chiriquí Grande.

Major intersections

ProvinceDistrictkmmiDestinationsNotes
Chiriquí ProvinceBoquete District00.0 Highway 41Colloquially known as the “Boquete-David Road”
Gualaca District24.915.5 Highway 21[14]Colloquially known as the “Chiriquí-Gualaca Road”
Bocas del Toro ProvinceChiriquí Grande District96.660.0 Highway 11[15]Colloquially known as the “Almirante-Changuinola Road”
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Spanish: La conectividad de la provincia con la Carretera Panamericana y el resto de Panamá sigue reducida a la Carretera 10 (Bocas del Toro – Ngäbe-Buglé – Chiriquí). Translation: The connectivity of the province with the Pan-American Highway and the rest of Panama is still reduced to Highway 10 (Bocas del Toro - Ngäbe-Buglé - Chiriquí) (Page 16)[2]
  2. ^ Quote: "En 1987 el Banco aprobó un préstamo por $16,7 millones de los recursos del capital interregional, destinado a apoyar las actividades de mantenimiento vial, reemplazar puentes y rehabilitar la carretera Gualaca-Chiriquí Grande." Translation: In 1987, the Bank approved a $16.7 million loan from interregional capital resources to support road maintenance activities, replace bridges, and rehabilitate the Gualaca-Chiriquí Grande highway. (Page 92)[3]
  3. ^ Quote: "In the last decades its access has been limited due to lack of infrastructure, although with the recent construction of road stretches between Gualaca, Chiriqui Grande, and Almirante in Bocas del Toro province, territorial integration to the rest of the country has been accomplished. Nevertheless, this integration has high cost because natural forest has been lost by deforestation and disorganized occupation of the territory." (Page XXVI)[5]

References

  1. ^ Google (2024-12-29). "Driving Directions from Alto Boquete to Chiriquí Grande" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  2. ^ "Visión 2050: Bocas del Toro" (PDF). Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT) (in Spanish). 2022. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  3. ^ "Informe Anual" (PDF). Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (in Spanish). 1987. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  4. ^ "Estrategia para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Reserva de la Biosfera "La Amistad"" (PDF). Biblioteca Nacional de Panamá (in Spanish). p. 60. Aquí se observan fuertes deslizamientos, pérdida de suelos y contaminación da aguas, debido principalmente a la tala de bosques originada por la construcción del oleoducto y la carretera Gualaca-Chiriquí Grande
  5. ^ "Análisis Ambiental y Plan de Adecuación y Manejo Ambiental" (PDF). World Bank Document Library (in Spanish). Programa Nacional de Administración de Tierras (PRONAT). 2000. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  6. ^ "Vía a Gualaca vuelve a colapsar" [Road to Gualaca collapses again]. La Estrella de Panamá (in Spanish). 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  7. ^ "Avanza rehabilitación de carretera que comunica Chiriquí y Bocas del Toro". Agencia de Noticias de Panamá (ANP) (in Spanish). 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  8. ^ "Carretera Gualaca a Chiriquí Grande tiene 83 % de avance". Ministerio de Obras Públicas de Panamá (in Spanish). 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  9. ^ "Informe de Ejecución del Programa de Inversiones Públicas No Financieras" (PDF). Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas de Panamá (in Spanish). p. 79. Retrieved 2025-01-24. Con un 82.4% de ejecución del presupuesto modificado (B/. 23.3 millones), el cual ejecuto: la Construcción de la Carretera Changuinola – Almirante (B/. 9.9 millones ejecutado), Rehabilitación de la Carretera Gualaca – Chiriquí Grande (B/. 6.3 millones ejecutado) y Construcción de la Carretera Chiriquí Grande – Ballena (B/. 1.1 millones ejecutado)
  10. ^ Saldaña, Jaime (2023-06-05). "Gualaca: Carretera hacia Bocas del Toro presenta hundimiento". Eco TV Panamá (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  11. ^ Valle de la Mina (PDF) (Topographic map). Gualaca District, Chiriquí Province: Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia. § 3741 I NW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  12. ^ "Una vía difícil de rehabilitar". La Estrella de Panamá (in Spanish). 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  13. ^ Punta Peña (PDF) (Topographic map). Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca/Bocas del Toro Province: Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia. § 3742 I SW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  14. ^ Google (2025-01-24). "Driving Directions from Alto Boquete (Highway 41) to Gualaca (Highway 21)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  15. ^ Google (2025-01-24). "Driving Directions from Alto Boquete (Highway 41) to Rambalá (Highway 11)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
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