2.3 Ecuador Road Network Road Network Overview
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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 Page 4.