Lawton Constitution in Lawton, Oklahoma

Ecuador Builds Major Highways Across Andes To Pacific

Ecuador plans to add over 600 miles of highways in three years at a cost of 35 million dollars. The project includes two new routes from the Andes to the Pacific, finishing the Pan American Highway through the country, and upgrading three existing roads to unlock vast farming lands. The terrain poses severe engineering challenges with 12,000-foot passes, rock walls, and hundreds of streams requiring bridges. Works have faced contract pullouts as firms bid larger machinery for the tough mountain construction.