The mayor of Arraiján, Stefany Peñalba, stated: "What we want is for them to help us with the Veracruz route to see how this project can be completed, because it is useless for it to be completed if the road cannot be opened." The mayor indicated that the project is already seven months behind schedule, affecting more than 500,000 people who would benefit from the opening of this road. Peñalba also referred to the opening of the coastal route from Veracruz to Vacamonte, which depends on the payment of nearly $9 million to the construction company. This is how the mayor of Arraiján referred to the position of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in not granting permits to advance the rehabilitation of the Nuevo Emperador-Centenario road. She insisted that this road would help alleviate the traffic on the Centenario route. The ACP's position arises from the impact on a water source due to the road rehabilitation works. She also said that "the Panama Canal Authority is currently obstructing the development processes" we have for the Nuevo Emperador district. "The Panama Canal Authority is putting a spanner in the works." The construction of the Forestal road has an approximate cost of $23,207,457.87 and was awarded to the Nuevo Emperador Consortium through an exceptional procedure in February 2025 by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP).
Arraiján Mayor Asks for Help to Complete Road Project
Arraiján's mayor, Stefany Peñalba, stated the Veracruz road project is already seven months behind schedule and called for help to complete it, affecting over 500,000 people. She also mentioned a conflict with the Panama Canal Authority over permits for road rehabilitation.
