Trans-Amazonian highway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) is the third longest highway in Brazil, 4,800 km long, running through the Brazilian states of Pará and Amazonas. The Brazilian Government would not be able to afford such a long road to be paved so only a small part of it is actually paved causing many problrms.

Planned to better integrate the Brazilian North with the remaining portion of the country, it was inaugurated on August 30, 1972. It was initially projected to be a paved highway, 8,000 kilometers long, connecting the North and Northeast Regions with Peru and Ecuador, however these plans were modified after its inauguration.

The workers constructing the road were completely isolated and without communication for months. Some information was gotten only in occasional visits to some nearby cities. The transport was mostly accomplished by small airplanes using rough airstrips.

Since it is mostly unpaved, the travel on the Trans-Amazonian Highway is impractical during the region’s rainy season (between October and March). Deforestation along the highway is considered a serious problem.