Transport in Bolivia explained

Transport in Bolivia is mostly by road. The railways were historically important in Bolivia, but now play a relatively small part in the country's transport system. Because of the country's geography, aviation is also important.

Railways

See also: Rail transport in Bolivia. Total:3,504 km (single track)
Narrow gauge (metre gauge):

3,504 km gauge; (2006)
The eastern and western networks are joined only via Argentina, due to slow progress on a direct link.
- The map on page 522 of the 1969/1970 edition of JANE'S shows a link between Cuevos and Zudañez as being "under construction".

Rail links with adjacent countries

Argentina – yes – both countries
Brazil – yes – gauge both countries
Chile – yes – gauge both countries; break of gauge where Chile is gauge
Peru – Shipping from railhead in Guaqui to railhead in Puno across Lake Titicaca, see Peru train ferry

Maps

UN Map

Towns served by rail

See main article: Railway stations in Bolivia.

Light Rail

See main article: Mi Tren.

Bolivia's first light rail network is under construction in Cochabamba, and is due to open in 2020.

Cable Car

Bolivia is home to Mi Teleférico, the world's first urban transit network to use cable cars as the primary mode of transportation. This system services the twin cities of El Alto and La Paz, and increased physical and social mobility within Bolivia.^[1]

Roadways

Bolivia as of 2004 has 62,479 km of road distance, of which 3,749 km (including 27 km of expressways) is paved and 58,730 km is unpaved.

Road construction in Bolivia is difficult due to its geography and lack of resources to completely develop an advanced road network. However, it maintains a small network of 4-lane freeways which are the following:

1 Oruro – Patacamaya (Expected to be completed in a few years, extending to La Paz). Length: 114 km.
4 Cochabamba – Quillacollo. Length: 14 km.
4 Santa Cruz de la Sierra – Montero. Length: 48 km.

The main national roads are:

RN1 Desaguadero, border with Peru – La Paz – Oruro – Potosí – Tarija – Bermejo, border with Argentina.
RN2 Copacabana, border with Peru – La Paz.
RN3 La Paz – San Borja – Trinidad.
RN4 Tambo Quemado, border with Chile – Cochabamba – Montero – Santa Cruz de la Sierra – Puerto Suárez, border with Brazil.
RN5 La Palizada – Sucre – Potosí – Border with Chile.
RN6 Oruro – Sucre – Chaco, border with Paraguay.
RN7 Cochabamba – Samaipata – Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
RN8 Yucumo – Riberalta – Guayaramerín, border with Brazil.
RN9 Guayaramerín, border with Brazil – Trinidad – Santa Cruz de la Sierra – Yacuíba, border with Argentina
RN10 Montero – San Matías, border with Brazil.
RN 14 Potosí – Villazón, border with Argentina.

The Interoceanic Highway is an important highway that connects the Amazonian tripoint border region of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia to the Pacific Ocean. Bolivia's northernmost capital, Cobija, headquarters a free economic zone that uses the Interoceanic Highway to import and export most of its products.^[2] ^[3]

Waterways

10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways (2007)

Ports and harbors

Seaports

In October 2010, Peru granted Bolivia port facilities and a free-trade zone as part of larger series of agreements strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Bolivia was granted about 1.4sqmi of port facilities on a 99-year lease at the Port of Ilo on Peru's southern Pacific coast. A similar agreement, signed by then Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora in 1992, never materialized for a lack of investment in infrastructure. Bolivia has free port privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.