Transport in Bolivia

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

Total: 3,504 km (single track)
Narrow gauge (metre gauge):

• 3,504 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) 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 - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) both countries
• Brazil - yes - 1,000 mm gauge both countries
• Chile - yes - 1,000 mm gauge both countries; break of gauge where Chile is 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge
• Peru - Shipping from 1,000 mm railhead in Guaqui to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) railhead in Puno across Lake Titicaca, see Peru train ferry

Maps

• UN Map

Towns served by rail

Roadways

total: 62,479 km
paved: 3,749 km (including 27 km of expressways)
unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)

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.

Waterways

10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways (2007)

Pipelines

• Crude oil 2,745 km
• Liquid petroleum gas 47 km
• Natural gas 4,883 km
• Refined products 1,589 (2008)

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 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) 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.

Lake Titicaca

• Guaqui

Amazon basin

Paraguay River (international waterway)

• Puerto Aguirre
• Puerto Busch
• Puerto Quijarro

Merchant marine

total: 23 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 116,373 GRT/182,283 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type: (2008)

Airports

1,009 (2008)

See also

• Bolivia
• Rail transport by country

References

This article was adapted from the CIA World Factbook 2009.

Bolivia articles
History	To 1809 Spanish colonization 1809–1920 Bolivian War of Independence Peru–Bolivian Confederation 1920–64 Chaco War 1964–82 1982–present Cochabamba protests Gas conflict
Geography	Cities Climate Departments Environmental issues Extreme points Lakes Mountains Provinces Rivers Volcanoes
Politics	Constitution Elections Foreign relations Human rights LGBT Law enforcement Military Political parties President
Economy	Boliviano (currency) Energy International rankings Telecommunications Tourism Transport Water supply and sanitation
Society	Crime Demographics Education Health Languages Religion Women Culture Architecture Cuisine Flag Literature Media Music Public holidays Sport Olympics
Outline Index Category Portal

Transport in the Americas
North America South America
Sovereign states	Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies and other territories	Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands US Virgin Islands