Landslides affecting the Vía Interoceánica, East of Quito, Ecuador

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is surrounded by steep and unstable terrain, and landslides are a common hazard that often cause damage to the infrastructure, especially roads. In this study failures along a strategic tranportation route, the Via Interoceanica, are investigated. This is the only road linking Quito, and the entire northwest of the country, to eastern Ecuador. A series of failures occurred on the road leading up to its closure in 1999. The question is why a road was attempted in an area where the costs of construction and maintanance were liable to be so high? The conclusion is that road construction in Ecuador is not just a geotechnical issue as influential individuals or sectors can bring political pressure to bear to ensure construction takes place in specific areas. In the case study presented the result was a rapid transit road link between high socio-economic status neighbourhoods and the capital.