Highway 5 (Panama)
Carretera 5 (Spanish) | |
Santiago–Soná–Guabalá Road | |
Highway 5 highlighted in red | |
Route information | |
Length | 119 km[1] (74 mi) |
Major junctions | |
From | Santiago |
Northwest end | |
Location | |
Country | Panama |
Highway system | |
The Highway 5 (Spanish: Carretera 5)[a] colloquially known as the Santiago-Soná-Guabalá Road, is a primary road that connects the capital city of Veraguas with several towns in the center of the province, then the road goes to the coastal area of the District of Tolé in Chiriquí, specifically along the area around the Moist Pacific Coast mangroves.
The current Highway 5 was an old alignment of the Pan-American Highway that served as the main road in the province of Veraguas that connected David with Panama City during part of the 20th century.[3]
History
Part of the sectors where Highway 5 passes through were historically known as “Camino de las Recuas de las Mulas” (lit. The Mule Trail), a road built in the 17th century during the Spanish colonial era to connect the area of Cartago in Costa Rica with Tierra Firme, a former colonial province, where its capital was the current Panama City.[b]
In 1996, Dillon Construction Inc. undertook the construction of two bridges along the San Pablo and Santa Maria Rivers to improve traffic flow around Highway 5.[5]
At the end of 2008, the Panamanian company Bagatrac was contracted for the rehabilitation of Highway 5 where it proceeded to partially destroy part of the old asphalt, although there were several irregularities in the execution of the construction project as well as delays in its completion, which caused alterations in local traffic. This project cost approximately USD$14,122,000 according to statistics provided by the Panamanian press.[c]
In mid-2012, the Ministry of Public Works reported progress in the rehabilitation of the Highway 5 sectors to connect the coastal areas of Chiriqui with Veraguas in collaboration with the Colombian company Conalvías S.A., where approximately $32 million dollars were allocated for the construction of a new bridge for the circulation of vehicles over the Tabasará River as well as the paving of some areas of the Highway.[d]
In mid 2013, the Ministry of Public Works reported progress in the expansion of Highway 5, where the sectors of the road that run through the corregimientos of El Maria, Zapotillo and Puerto Vidal in the Province of Veraguas were completed as well as the Ministry reported the beginning of the creation of a new bridge over the Tabasará River to connect this area of Veraguas with the Integral Control Post of Guabalá (Spanish: Puesto de Control Integral de Guabalá) in the Province of Chiriquí.[8] At the end of 2016, Highway 5 was partially blocked following several landslides specific to the sectors connecting to the locality of Zapotillo.[9]
In March 2017, Panama's National Assembly approved investment in maintenance works for Highway 5.[10]
Route description
Veraguas Province
Highway 5 begins at the intersection with Avenida Central in the western part of the metropolitan area of Santiago de Veraguas. Subsequently, it goes much further west connecting the locality of Algarrobos, from this section, the route goes a little more to the southwest crossing the San Pedro, Aclita and Mamey Rivers. Then Highway 5 begins to run through the area between Cerro Aguja and Cerro Petengue and then crosses the San Pablo River until it reaches the urban center of Soná.
The route heads much further west across the Tobalico River and connects the corregimientos of Quebrada de Oro and Querque, then Highway 5 passes around Filo de Fraile and Cerro Tulivieja,[11] then the route then heads to the locality of Zapotillo. Afterwards, the route heads a little more to the northwest crossing the Jorones[12] and Viralito Rivers until reaching Puerto Vidal. The last sections of Highway 5 in Veraguas pass through the Tabasará River.
Chiriquí Province
Highway 5 extends to the northwest of the Tolé District in this province, connecting the localities of Quebrada de Piedra, then the route crosses the Jagua, Ulé[13] and Chacarrero Rivers near the mangrove areas.
The route heads much further north crossing the Jacubé River and then reaches the area of Guabalá where it intersects with Highway 1, also known as the Panamerican Highway.
Major intersections
Province | District | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Veraguas Province | Las Palmas District | 64.7 | 40.2 | Colloquially known as “Vía a Las Palmas”. | |
Chiriquí Province | Tolé District | 119 | 74 | Colloquially known as “Carretera Panamericana”. | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
External links
- Highway 5 on Wegen Wiki (in Dutch)
- Geographic Data of Highway 5 on OpenStreetMap
Notes
- ^ Spanish: Además de otras carreteras que conectan internamente la provincia, como la carretera 5 hacia Soná Translation: In addition to other highways that connect the province internally, such as Highway 5 to Soná (Page 17)[2]
- ^ Spanish: Las principales vías de comunicación terrestres de Veraguas, también son producto de los antiguos caminos, como la Vía Interamericana y la Vía Soná- Santiago, que en algunos de sus tramos son parte del antiguo Camino de las Recuas de las Mulas Translation: The main land communication routes in Veraguas are also the result of old roads, such as the Inter-American Highway and the Soná-Santiago Highway, some of which are part of the old Camino de las Recuas de las Mulas. (Page 43)[4]
- ^ Spanish: El proyecto de la construcción de la nueva carretera Santiago-Soná comprende una inversión de 14 millones 122 mil dólares, sin embargo, pese a las quejas que a diario se dan por el retraso que presenta la ejecución del mismo ni el MOP ni la empresa Bagatrac han rendido un informe del avance de la obra. Translation: The project for the construction of the new Santiago-Soná highway includes an investment of 14 million 122 thousand dollars, however, despite daily complaints about the delay in its execution, neither the MOP [Ministry of Public Works] nor the Bagatrac company have provided a progress report on the work.[6]
- ^ Spanish: Los trabajos se iniciaron desde la vieja carretera sobre la vía Panamericana en la comunidad de Guabalá, en el corregimiento de Quebrada de Piedra, en el distrito de Tolé y terminarán en el corregimiento El María, en el distrito de Las Palmas, en la provincia de Veraguas Translation: Work began on the old road on the Pan-American Highway in the community of Guabalá, in the corregimiento of Quebrada de Piedra, in the district of Tolé and will end in the township of El María, in the district of Las Palmas, in the province of Veraguas. - Quote from Roberto Lezcano, former director of Panama's Ministry of Public Works (2012)[7]
References
- ^ a b Google (2024-12-29). "Driving Directions from Santiago de Veraguas to Guabalá" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ "Estrategia para el Desarrollo Sostenible: Provincia de Veraguas" (PDF). Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT) (in Spanish). 2018. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ^ American Geographical Society Library (1947). Panama Transportation (Map). 1:310,000. Department of State, Map Division. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
- ^ "Vías de comunicación coloniales en Veraguas, terrestre y marítima" [Roads of colonial communication in Veraguas, land and maritime] (PDF). Revista IPC (Investigación y Pensamiento Crítico). Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, Panamá. 2022. ISSN 1812-3864.
- ^ "Registro de Obras (Puentes en doble Voladizo)". Mexpresa. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "Piden agilizar proyecto carretero". La Estrella de Panamá. 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "Reviven la carretera costera entre Chiriquí y Veraguas". Panamá América (in Spanish). 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ Adames, José (2013-06-27). "Lista la vía Soná - Guabalá". Día a Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "Se registra segundo deslizamiento de tierra en Soná". Panamá América (in Spanish). 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Asamblea Nacional de Panamá reasigna fondos a Ministerio de Obras Públicas". Bnamericas. 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ OpenStreetMap contributors (2024-12-31). "Cerro Tulivieja" (Map). OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 2024-12-31./
- ^ Puerto Vidal (3840 II SE) (PDF) (Topographic map). Las Palmas District, Veraguas: Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Quebrada de Piedra (3840 II NW) (PDF) (Topographic map). Tolé District, Chiriquí: Instituto Geográfico Nacional Tommy Guardia. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Google (2024-12-29). "Driving Directions from Santiago de Veraguas to Las Palmas" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2024-12-29.