In the middle of the year 2021, it was announced that the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) had approved a US$382.6 million loan in favor of the State of Nicaragua. In this regard, the CABEI official page shared that the loan would be used for the execution of the Tenth Road Improvement and Expansion Program of the Nicaraguan current government.
With the approval of the CABEI, Nicaraguan Government presented the urgent initiative for voting to the National Assembly. On June 28, 2022, it was announced that the National Assembly had given its approval so that the Ministry of Treasury could sign the Loan Agreement with CABEI.
According to the official page of the National Assembly, the Road Improvement and Expansion Program will contribute to the development of roads located in the cities of Managua, Carazo, Rivas, Chinandega, Boaco and the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. In particular, the Program will allow the construction and improvement of 229.13 km distributed throughout these cities.
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI), the loan will cover the first 120 km of a 149.2 km highway, which has been named "La Costanera" and has been described as a "dream come true" due to the high benefits that its construction will bring not only to the people living near the construction zone, but also as it is expected to contribute to the Central American commercial exchange. The MTI also shared that the highway would have 16 vehicular bridges and will connect a total of 53 beaches along the entire Pacific coast.
The "Nicaragua Investiga" media has informed that besides "La Costanera", the Tenth Road Improvement and Expansion Program also contemplates: the Corinto Bypass Project of 8.10 km; the improvement of the road from Wapi to El Tortuguero, which is in the South Caribbean and has an extension of 59.98 km; and the improvement of the road La Calamidad-Empalme Masigue, in the municipality of Camoapa with an extension of 11.76 km.
