Jorge Chávez Airport Access Bridge Delayed Until 2029
The project, key to access the new Lima air station, faces significant delays and operational risks.
The access bridge to Jorge Chávez International Airport will not be completed by 2027 as previously announced by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC). Instead, the project is now set for delivery in 2029, according to an official agreement between the MTC and Lima Airport Partners (LAP).
According to the MTC-LAP agreement (January 2025), the bridge is expected to be completed in January 2029, contradicting previous public statements by Minister Pérez Reyes, who had promised completion between 2026 and 2027. The original contract had set 2021 as the delivery date, highlighting a total delay of eight years.
Concerns Over Temporary Bridges
Meanwhile, Ositran has warned that the current modular bridges could become overwhelmed by 2028—or even sooner—due to:
- Limited capacity (2 lanes) vs. expanded 3-lane roads, creating a "bottleneck" effect.
- Unanticipated traffic demand, with maximum speeds of just 20 km/h on the bridges.
Authorities have noted that mitigation measures (such as traffic signals and signage) will not be sufficient if demand exceeds projections. Additionally, a clause waiving compensation claims until 2029 suggests preemptive acknowledgment of potential legal disputes over delays.
Critical Implications
- Road safety: Severe congestion and increased accident risks.
- Airport operations: Potential disruption to logistics and passenger experiences.
- Economic costs: Accumulated delays could impact airport-related investments.
Key Causes of the Delay
- Design and engineering issues: Initial planning deficiencies, including errors in technical studies that hindered project execution.
- Land acquisition difficulties: Prolonged delays due to disputes over acquiring necessary land and conflicts with existing infrastructure.
- Project management changes: The project was reassigned to PMO Vías after previous management failures, signaling institutional instability and multiple planning restarts.
- Contractual deadline extensions: Agreements between MTC and LAP formally pushed the delivery date to January 2029, acknowledging the inability to meet previous targets (2021 and later 2027).
- Budget reprioritization: While the MTC allocated S/110.5 million for the project in 2024, past resource reallocation to high-impact social and economic projects may have slowed progress.
Economic Impact of the Santa Rosa Bridge Delay
Logistics Connectivity Challenges
- Overloaded temporary bridges (2 lanes) will create severe bottlenecks, slowing airport access and reducing cargo transport speeds to 10-20 km/h.
- Increased operational costs for businesses reliant on airport logistics and exporters.
Risk of Economic Penalties
- The Peruvian government could face compensation claims from Lima Airport Partners (LAP) of up to USD 400 million if the delay surpasses agreed deadlines (initially 2021, later extended to 2025).
- These funds could otherwise be directed toward local development projects.
Impact on Tourism and International Events
- Severe congestion could disrupt operations at the new airport terminal (opening in 2025), which is critical for the 2027 Pan American Games.
- This event is projected to contribute +0.5% to national GDP, but success depends on functional infrastructure.
Investment Deterrents
- Inefficient airport access could reduce Lima-Callao’s appeal as a regional logistics hub, influencing multinational companies' decisions.
Rising Budget Costs
- The MTC has allocated an additional S/367 million in 2025 to accelerate the Santa Rosa Expressway and bridge construction—funds that could have been used for social or economic projects.
Impact on Employment
- While the project is expected to generate 3,000 direct jobs, prolonged delays create job uncertainty and weaken the expected economic ripple effects in local commerce and services.
Broader Economic Consequences
The eight-year delay in the Santa Rosa Bridge project is projected to cost 1.2% of annual regional GDP, considering indirect impacts on productivity and international trade.
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