El Salvador continues to take the lead in road connectivity within Central America, showcasing not only its commitment to infrastructure but also its dedication to enhancing regional transportation networks. With a steadfast focus on improving roads, ports, and border points, the government has allocated significant investments toward bolstering the country’s infrastructure quality.
According to the latest Global Competitiveness Reports from the World Economic Forum, El Salvador maintains its position at the forefront of road connectivity in Central America, ranking second in infrastructure quality. Deloitte’s global competitiveness index, evaluating 140 economies worldwide, further reinforces this, with a particular emphasis on analyzing connectivity and the quality of road infrastructure across nations.
In terms of connectivity, which measures driver travel time, the report highlights Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Panama, and Nicaragua as the top performers. Conversely, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala receive less favorable evaluations in this regard.
Invest in El Salvador has announced ambitious plans for the country to evolve into a regional logistics hub, leveraging its maritime infrastructure’s substantial cargo mobility capacity and streamlined administrative processes to stimulate economic growth.
To bolster freight transportation, the government is modernizing the Acajutla port and border points such as the Anguiatú customs office in Metapán, Santa Ana, with a $15.6 million investment. Equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance technology, plate reading systems, and streamlined transit operations, the processing time at this border point has decreased from 10 to just 1.5 minutes.
Furthermore, with a $26.4 million investment, the El Amatillo customs office in La Unión is set to become the first regional customs facility to implement a management control system with cutting-edge technological components.
These achievements in mobility indices and road infrastructure quality have garnered recognition from the Road Conservation Fund (Fovial). The organization reiterated that El Salvador has successfully preserved its road network, securing its position as the second-best in Central America and seventh in Latin America for road quality, as per the World Economic Forum’s 2017 assessment.