Cuenca South Access Project Could Cost Up to USD 45 Million

Cuenca's proposed South Access project is being placed on a 2027 timeline, with an estimated cost between USD 35 million and USD 45 million, according to Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Roberto Luque.

The figure was reported by El Mercurio after Luque discussed the project in connection with the official delivery of Locomotora 14 at Cuenca's Parque del Ferrocarril on August 14. The mobility issue is significant because the city's vehicle fleet is growing by 4% each year, according to the report.

The current order of priorities

Luque said the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's contracting priorities for Cuenca are:

1. The Gapal interchange, already in the bidding process.
2. The 12 de Octubre Avenue interchange, in the process of being uploaded to Sercop.
3. The Cuenca–Girón–Pasaje road, in process.
4. The South Access, listed for 2027.

The report says the contracting process for the new South Access is expected to begin by early 2027. That is a procurement milestone, not an announcement that construction has already started.

A cheaper alternative is being pursued

The report says an earlier study, carried out three years ago at a cost of USD 3 million, had determined that the project would cost USD 214 million. Luque described that result as contrary to common sense and said an alternative route had been corrected and would not cost more than USD 45 million.

For residents, that makes the next stage more important than the headline estimate. The project still has to move through contracting, and the competing Cuenca priorities remain ahead of it in the ministry's stated order.

What this means for Cuenca expats

People who live in or travel through southern Cuenca should treat this as a medium-term infrastructure signal. It is relevant to commuting, property decisions, and the future shape of access into the city, but the source does not provide a final route, construction start date, toll, or financing plan.

The practical question to watch is whether the contracting process begins by early 2027 and what alignment the final project uses. Until those details are published, the USD 35 million–USD 45 million figure is an estimate for a proposed alternative rather than a completed project budget.

Source: El Mercurio