2.3 Ecuador Road Network Road Network Overview
Page 1 Page 2 Ecuador has a total of 43,200 km of roads:
Paved = 8,161 km
Gravel = 23,055 km
Dirt = 12,000 km
Geographical Road Coverage:
Coast = 16,492 km
Highlands = 22,053 km
Amazon = 4,471 km
Galápagos = 184 km
Distance Matrix
Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km)
Quito Ambato Cuenca Guayaquil Loja Manta Tulcán Esmeraldas
111 432 390 640 362 239 300 Quito
111 321 277 529 358 381 371 Ambato
432 321 191 207 392 702 654 Cuenca
390 277 191 398 180 659 447 Guayaquil
640 529 207 398 597 909 861 Loja
362 358 392 180 597 631 371 Manta
239 381 702 659 909 631 395 Tulcán
300 371 654 502 861 371 395 Esmeraldas
Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns
Quito Ambato Cuenca Guayaquil Loja Manta Tulcán Esmeraldas
02h23 07h41 07h22 10h58 06h44 04h24 05h14 Quito
02h23 04h13 05h08 07h40 04h57 04h50 05h07 Ambato
07h41 04h13 03h28 03h30 5h19 11h22 08h22 Cuenca
07h22 05h08 03h28 05h41 03h17 07h55 07h28 Guayaquil
10h58 07h40 03h30 05h41 08h14 11h11 12h11 Loja
06h44 04h57 5h19 03h17 08h14 08h22 05h21 Manta
04h24 07h55 11h22 07h55 11h11 08h22 05h43 Tulcán
05h14 05h07 08h22 07h28 12h11 05h21 05h43 Esmeraldas
Road Safety
Although some of Ecuador’s roads and highways have greatly improved in recent years, road travel throughout Ecuador can still be dangerous, especially at night. Some roads are poorly maintained, or affected by heavy rains and mudslides. Mountain roads may lack safety features such as crash barriers or guard rails, and conditions are frequently made more treacherous by heavy fog. Highways are often unmarked and unlit, and do not have signs indicating destinations. In addition, slow-moving buses and trucks frequently stop in the middle of the road unexpectedly. In the countryside, livestock is often herded along roads or grazes on roadsides. Lacking sidewalks, many roads are also used by pedestrians.
Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits
Page 3 There are currently no operational weighbridges in Ecuador.
Axle Load Limits LCA Country (ECUADOR) Transit Country (COLOMBIA) Transit Country (PERU)
Truck with 2 Axles 18mt 18 Tons 18 Tons
Truck with 3 Axles 27mt 27mt 27mt
Truck with 4 Axles 32mt 32mt 32mt
Semi-trailer with 3 Axles 27mt 27mt 27mt
Semi-trailer with 4 Axles 31mt 31mt 31mt
Semi-trailer with 5 Axles 47mt 47mt 47mt
Semi-trailer with 6 Axles 48mt 48mt 48mt
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 4 Axles N/A N/A N/A
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 5 Axles N/A N/A N/A
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 6 Axles N/A N/A N/A
Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 7 Axles N/A N/A N/A
Road Class and Surface Conditions
Ecuador – Road Classification
Classification Road Description
Class A Primary Roads: International trunk roads linking international boundaries, international ports or provincial capitals
Class B Secondary Roads: Recolection of trafic from rural or urban area and linking it to the Primary Roads
Class C Terciary Roads and local tracks: They connect Parishes and production areas to the National Road Network
An important route, the Pan-American highway, crosses the country from North to South from Tulcán (in the border with Colombia) to Macará (in the border with Peru), completing a route of 1,397 kilometers throughout the Andean mountains; it is the main artery of communication in the country, as well as with the neighboring countries. Since 2008, GoE directed its effort on road maintenance. In addition to this action, the administration and maintenance of the main roads are currently concessioned to private companies, resulting in a very good condition of primary roads throughout the country.
Ecuador Road Inventory (kms)
Coast Highlands Amazon Islands Total
Paved 4,040 3,628 478 15 8,161
Gravel 6,665 12,405 3,816 169 23,055
Dirt 5,787 6,020 177 0 11,984
Total 16,492 22,053 4,471 184 43,200
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