Cono Sur · Transport Infrastructure · October 2026
South America’s Transport Infrastructure 2035: A Six-Country Outlook
Airports, ports, roads and railways across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay: which networks work today, which investments are advancing and where cross-border bottlenecks could persist through 2035.
Econosur · Infrastructure
Transport investment is accelerating across southern South America, but the six countries are not moving toward an integrated network at the same pace. Brazil has the broadest new port and airport investment pipeline; Chile is developing Pacific port capacity and rail access; Argentina is transferring major freight and waterway infrastructure to concession operators; Uruguay already has measurable freight-rail operations; Paraguay is constructing a new international road corridor; Bolivia remains focused on improving access through neighbouring countries.
The strongest evidence for change before 2030 lies in assets already operating, works under construction and legally awarded concessions. Large investment pipelines and preliminary railway plans are important, but their financing and delivery remain uncertain. The most relevant business question is whether a shipment can move reliably through the entire corridor, including border crossings, terminals and last-mile connections.
Six countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Four modes: aviation, ports and waterways, roads, and freight railways. Time horizon: 2026 baseline, investment outlook to 2030, conditional development through 2035.
This is a project-based economic and transport analysis, not a forecast of national infrastructure spending or a ranking of engineering standards. Investment amounts use original currencies and are not aggregated across incompatible programmes.
Six Countries, Different Starting Conditions
The countries belong to overlapping markets and transport systems but have very different physical geographies. Brazil's large internal market sustains multiple port and inland transport networks. Chile's narrow Pacific territory concentrates international freight around specific coastal and mountain connections, including the Antofagasta logistics and port system. Argentina spans agricultural, industrial and energy regions whose route choices depend on railways, trucking and navigable rivers. Uruguay combines a smaller domestic market with Atlantic port and cross-border services. Bolivia and Paraguay depend on corridors beyond their national borders for ocean access; Bolivia's bioceanic corridor alternatives illustrate those route choices.
The World Bank's 2023 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) provides a common reference. It measures perceived logistics performance across customs, infrastructure, international shipments, competence, tracking and timeliness. It is not a measurement of future investment, airport capacity or road condition.
| Country | 2023 LPI score | Principal structural issue |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 3.2 | Long distances between production regions, ports and urban centres |
| Chile | 3.0 | Pacific port capacity, mountains and inland access |
| Uruguay | 3.0 | Regional transit, port access and railway utilisation |
| Argentina | 2.8 | Freight-rail rehabilitation, road maintenance and river access |
| Paraguay | 2.7 | Dependence on rivers and neighbouring countries' routes |
| Bolivia | 2.4 | Cost and reliability of access to overseas markets |
Source: World Bank, Logistics Performance Index 2023. Scores are published for 2023, not 2026. Small score differences should not be interpreted as precise differences in infrastructure quality.
For the period to 2035, existing transport capacity and the legal stage of investment projects offer a more direct indication of what might change. The four transport modes therefore need to be examined separately.
Airports: More Infrastructure Does Not Guarantee More Flights
Brazil is expanding both metropolitan and regional aviation infrastructure. Its October 2026 programme includes approximately R$2 billion in public works, studies and projects for 59 regional airports during 2027–2030. The ministry also envisages bringing further regional airports into private concession structures. These are programme estimates, not 59 completed airport projects.
Chile adopted a 2025–2030 airport plan covering 19 primary-network airports, combining around US$1.5 billion in public works with an additional US$1.8 billion in concession-related investment. The programme focuses on terminal, runway and equipment capacity and contains projects at different stages.
Argentina is developing investment arrangements within its concession-based airport system. International connectivity depends substantially on Buenos Aires' Ezeiza airport, while regional airports are important for long-distance domestic travel, tourism and air cargo. A financial commitment to Ezeiza is not in itself evidence that new long-haul or regional routes will follow.
Bolivia is seeking to turn Viru Viru in Santa Cruz into a more significant international hub. In October 2026 the government declared the proposal a strategic national priority and said CAF would provide technical assistance during tender preparation. This is an important policy step, but construction and financing have not yet been secured through a completed concession.
Paraguay completed a 2,245-square-metre expansion of the passenger boarding area at Silvio Pettirossi in November 2025, according to DINAC. That investment belongs in the operating baseline rather than the future pipeline. Uruguay has completed a programme to modernise six regional airports; subsequent network growth will depend on airline services and demand.
Terminal floor area, runway capability, air freight handling and passenger throughput must be kept separate. To determine whether international companies gain access, the operational measures are direct routes, frequency, cargo lift, customs handling and predictable connections to production areas.
Ports and Waterways: Where Maritime Capacity Meets Inland Access
Ports are not interchangeable. Container terminals, grain terminals, mineral-export facilities and inland river ports handle different traffic and face different bottlenecks. For container traffic, ECLAC's port report issued in 2026 provides a common 2024 baseline for selected Atlantic and Pacific gateways.
| Port / area | Country | Container throughput 2024 (TEU) |
|---|---|---|
| Santos | Brazil | 5,484,829 |
| San Antonio | Chile | 1,814,488 |
| Paranaguá | Brazil | 1,312,782 |
| Buenos Aires port area* | Argentina | 1,220,005 |
| Montevideo | Uruguay | 1,117,164 |
| Valparaíso | Chile | 636,573 |
Source: ECLAC, Port Report 2024–2025, Table 3. *Buenos Aires is the statistical port area including Dock Sud, La Plata and Puerto Nuevo. TEU denotes twenty-foot-equivalent container units; the figures do not include all bulk or inland-waterway cargo.
Brazil's October 2026 investment pipeline envisages R$160 billion for ports, airports, waterways and related financing during 2027–2030. The programme includes 34 planned port auctions estimated at R$20.6 billion and 70 private port authorisations worth a projected R$33.1 billion. These are different categories of intended investment, and the overall headline should not be read as contracts already executed. Santos, Itajaí and Paranaguá illustrate the importance of capacity, terminal access and transport connections.
Chile's Puerto Exterior San Antonio received environmental approval in May 2026. Its public-private development plan is estimated at US$4.45 billion, with six million TEU of eventual annual capacity after all stages. The port operator currently expects its first 1.5-million-TEU stage to begin operating around 2036. This makes it a major project for construction and future capacity, but not a port that can be counted as operational within the 2035 period.
Argentina's Vía Navegable Troncal, the main navigable trunk corridor linking the Paraná system to Atlantic shipping, entered a new 25-year concession arrangement in 2026. The contract was signed in July. Its economic effects will depend on actual channel conditions, maintenance, tariffs and navigation reliability rather than the award alone.
Uruguay's Montevideo remains a regional Atlantic gateway, including for transshipment, and faces investment choices concerning terminals and inland connections. The volume of a container port must be evaluated alongside competitive tariffs, shipping services and rail or road access.
Paraguay and Bolivia need a separate analytical lens. Paraguay's economy relies on river terminals and navigation through the Paraguay–Paraná system. Bolivia's proposals concerning Puerto Busch are designed to improve its connections with that system. Neither country's position can be fairly measured through a ranking of ocean container ports. Navigability, river levels, port equipment and transit arrangements through neighbouring states matter more.
Roads: The Most Immediate Cross-Border Opportunity
The Capricorn Bioceanic Corridor, examined in Econosur's construction and route-readiness analysis, aims to connect Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and Chile by road. Paraguay is a critical link: work on the Carmelo Peralta–Porto Murtinho bridge and on road sections through the Chaco is transforming a regional concept into physical infrastructure. In February 2026 the Inter-American Development Bank approved a US$200 million loan for the second section and eastern access to Loma Plata, a programme now listed by the bank as being implemented.
However, a contiguous route also requires reliable border facilities, road maintenance, trucking operations and the link through Argentina to Chile. Completion of one bridge or national section cannot be equated with a functioning end-to-end international freight service.
Argentina is transferring portions of its federal highway network to staged private concessions, with more than 9,000 kilometres envisaged overall. The programme targets maintenance and rehabilitation as well as operational service, but the effect on travel time depends on contract execution and the condition of individual corridors.
Brazil has an extensive road concession programme. The Santos–Guarujá immersed tunnel is a separate, large metropolitan-port access project: São Paulo's government signed the PPP contract with Mota-Engil in January 2026, with investment estimated at nearly R$7 billion. Its contribution to freight movement will depend on how the new crossing interacts with existing port-road traffic.
Bolivia's road authority presented a 2026–2030 strategic plan for strengthening the Red Vial Fundamental, while Chile continues concessions and upgrades on national routes and approaches to industrial zones and ports. Uruguay has a 2025–2030 programme of roughly US$2.1 billion for roads and bridges, spanning multiple financing arrangements and production corridors.
The comparative road question is not which country announces the most kilometres. It is where exporters obtain measurable gains in operating speed, year-round access, border clearance and reliable maintenance.
Railways: Operating Freight Versus Preliminary Ambitions
Uruguay offers an operational reference. The 256-kilometre Ferrocarril Central connects Paso de los Toros with the Montevideo port area. According to the transport ministry, approximately 5,000 train movements carried eight million tonnes during the first two years from August 2024: seven million tonnes of pulp and one million tonnes of industrial inputs. These figures demonstrate actual use of an operating asset, although they also show its current concentration in a particular industrial supply chain. Econosur examines the related pulp infrastructure model in a separate analysis.
Argentina launched a 50-year tender in August 2026 for 7,594 kilometres of the Belgrano, San Martín and Urquiza freight lines across 16 provinces. The tender uses an open-access model. Track already exists, but economic results depend on rehabilitation, investment execution and customers able to supply sustained freight volumes. Econosur has analysed the affected freight rail corridors.
Chile's Terminal Intermodal Barrancas is intended to connect railway operations more efficiently with San Antonio's port system. The planned container-transfer capability increases from approximately 50,000 to 250,000 TEU annually. This is design capacity, not proof of traffic already achieved. The project must be viewed alongside the broader Santiago–San Antonio rail corridor.
Brazil's Malha Sul proposal covers about 4,248 kilometres in the Paraná–Santa Catarina, Rio Grande and Mercosul corridors. ANTT's concession study envisages a 30-year contract with approximately R$14.4 billion in capital expenditure and R$38.6 billion in operating expenditure. Public consultation was extended to 30 September 2026. At the date of this analysis, no new concession award had been confirmed.
Bolivia has started prefeasibility work for the Motacucito–Mutún–Puerto Busch railway link. The proposed connection is relevant for the export of minerals and bulk products to river terminals, but remains pre-investment work.
Paraguay has studied railway options including a 220-kilometre Concepción–Pedro Juan Caballero link towards the Brazilian system. FEPASA's May 2025 study puts the preliminary investment estimate at US$450 million and identifies private investment as the envisaged model. An earlier presentation circulated different estimates depending on traction technology; they are not the current figure in that study. The project has no confirmed construction schedule.
Physical links are only the first requirement. Freight rail becomes competitive when terminals, customers, track access, operational frequency and road or port interfaces work together.
Selected Project Pipeline: Status Matters More Than Headlines
These are selected projects and programmes, not an exhaustive database or an investment ranking. The status reflects published information available by 13 October 2026.
| Country / project | Scale or reference | Evidence-based status | Main remaining question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile – Puerto Exterior | US$4.45bn full development; first stage around 2036 | Environmental approval; procurement | Contracting and construction schedule |
| Chile – Barrancas | 250,000 TEU annual design handling | Implementation / commissioning process | Realised rail freight volumes |
| Argentina – Vía Navegable Troncal | 25-year concession | Contract signed in 2026 | Depth, tariffs and service performance |
| Argentina – Belgrano Cargas | 7,594 km; 50-year tender | Tender launched | Successful award and funded upgrades |
| Bolivia – Viru Viru | Hub development | Tender preparation | Investor contract and financing |
| Bolivia – Puerto Busch rail | Motacucito–Mutún connection | Prefeasibility | Business case and construction finance |
| Paraguay – Bioceanic Road II | US$200m IDB loan | Approved financing; implementation | Full route and border readiness |
| Paraguay – Concepción railway | 220 km; US$450m preliminary estimate | Preliminary study | Bankable traffic and investment |
| Uruguay – Ferrocarril Central | 8m tonnes in first two operating years | Operating | Traffic diversification and extensions |
| Uruguay – Road programme | ~US$2.1bn, 2025–2030 | Contracts in execution | Coverage and productivity gains |
| Brazil – Port/airport/waterway pipeline | ~R$160bn, 2027–2030 | Mixed planned investment portfolio | Auctions, authorisations and delivery |
| Brazil – Malha Sul | 4,248 km; R$14.4bn planned CAPEX | Consultation concluded | Final tender and concession award |
Source documents and project-owner links appear in the primary-source section. CAPEX denotes investment expenditure, while OPEX covers operating expenditure; these are not interchangeable.
Three Cross-Border Connections to Watch
Brazil → Paraguay → northern Argentina → Chile. Road and bridge construction is advancing, but the economic test will be continuous operation, border processing and access to Pacific terminals.
Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay share the economic consequences of water levels, navigable depth, terminal capacity and transit rules. Road and rail feeders determine the river system's reach.
Uruguay's operating central line, Chile's Barrancas development and freight-rail concessions in Argentina and southern Brazil could alter access to Atlantic and Pacific terminals, subject to demand and investment.
The routes serve different cargo and markets. A Pacific option for Brazilian exports is not automatically cheaper than shipping through Santos or Paranaguá; such a claim requires shipment-level modelling and specific origin and destination points.
2030: Delivery Test. 2035: Network Test.
By 2030, the clearest near-term developments are improvements already supported by active construction, formally approved loans, concessions or existing operating assets. Paraguay's new road sections, Uruguay's working railway, selected Chilean intermodal facilities and Argentina's waterway concession provide identifiable points for monitoring performance. Other projects may enter construction or operation, but their outcomes depend on remaining tenders and financing.
By 2035, the more consequential question becomes whether separate national projects form effective cross-border networks. Brazil is likely to retain the region's broadest port and transport system. Chile's expansion of Pacific port access may strengthen its role even though Puerto Exterior's first stage is scheduled for 2036. Paraguay has high relative potential to improve international road access. Uruguay may widen the commercial use of its railway. Argentina's network outcomes depend heavily on maintenance and concession execution. Bolivia's prospects hinge on financed connections to maritime and river export routes.
Market access: Which industrial and agricultural regions become reachable through reliable year-round routes?
Procurement: Which project owners have financed and awarded actual work, and what services or equipment remain to be sourced?
Logistics decisions: Which ports, dry terminals and border crossings offer economically plausible alternatives for a particular cargo flow?
Competition: Will new infrastructure divert freight from existing routes, or mostly serve additional production and trade?
Uncertainty: Where do tariffs, environmental approvals, investment commitments or maintenance responsibilities still prevent meaningful forecasts?
The transport outlook is best understood as a question of connections between assets. Large investment programmes attract attention, but their economic value is decided where one transport mode meets another: a mine and a railway terminal, a truck and a border post, a river barge and an ocean port, or a production district and an international airport.
This distinction changes the relative importance of individual projects. Uruguay already has an operating railway with recorded volumes. Paraguay has a road corridor that can reshape cross-border options if every section and border procedure works. Chile's major port expansion has environmental approval but its first stage is beyond 2035. Argentina and Brazil are introducing or preparing concession structures whose performance is not established merely by their publication.
For companies operating across South America, the useful measure is therefore not announced investment alone. It is which complete routes are commercially usable, for which cargo, on what terms and at what level of reliability. That is also where the strongest opportunities for more detailed project and market research arise.
Econosur Research Services: Infrastructure and Market Access
Econosur examines defined B2B questions concerning infrastructure development, companies, logistics markets and cross-border commercial conditions in South America. Research focuses on evidence, project status and the practical commercial implications for a specified market or company.
Examine ownership, concessions, procurement status, permitting, finance, schedules and the distinction between announcements and committed work.
Identify operators, logistics providers, industrial customers, market concentration and the commercial position of competing transport routes.
Research the companies involved in transport projects, relevant buyer requirements and publicly identifiable commercial contacts for the client's own sales process.
Compare defined origin–destination chains, operational obstacles, regulatory requirements and the evidence available to assess alternative routes.
For a defined country, sector, project or commercial research requirement, see Custom Market Analysis South America and Company Reports.
Project status: "Operating", "under construction", "awarded", "loan approved", "tender", "prefeasibility" and "pipeline" describe different stages. They must never be treated as equivalent commitments.
Financial figures: Values are shown in the currencies and categories reported by their sources. CAPEX, OPEX, public works, authorisations and private concession obligations are not added together.
Data years: The World Bank LPI baseline is 2023 and ECLAC container throughput is for 2024. Project updates are examined through 13 October 2026. An earlier baseline cannot be interpreted as a 2026 outcome.
Port comparison: Container throughput excludes much of the bulk and riverborne freight important to Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Forecast limits: No region-wide 2035 freight volume, transport-cost reduction or precise travel-time saving is claimed. Route-level forecasts would require demand, service frequency, tariffs, border times and asset operating data.
Geography: The six-country scope includes Bolivia and Brazil for their practical integration into the southern transport networks; it is not a statement about membership in a particular political bloc.
Primary and Secondary Sources
- Brazil, Ministry of Ports and Airports (8 October 2026): 2027–2030 port, airport and waterway programme, planned auctions, authorisations and estimated financing.
- Brazil, ANTT: Malha Sul concession study (2 June 2026): 4,248 km, three corridors, intended 30-year concession, CAPEX and OPEX figures.
- Brazil, ANTT (14 August 2026): consultation extended to 30 September 2026.
- São Paulo State Government (28 January 2026): Santos–Guarujá tunnel PPP contract and investment.
- Chile, MOP: Airports Plan 2025–2030: 19 primary airports, public and concession investment plans.
- Puerto San Antonio: environmental approval, May 2026: formal approval of Puerto Exterior and project scope.
- Puerto San Antonio: Puerto Exterior project profile: estimated total investment, staged capacity and 2036 first-phase timeline.
- Puerto San Antonio / EFE: Terminal Intermodal Barrancas: intermodal development, terminal operations and rail-port integration.
- Argentina, Ministry of Economy (20 August 2026): 50-year freight rail concession tender, 7,594 km, open-access structure.
- Argentina: Vía Navegable Troncal concession contract (7 July 2026): main waterway concession and governmental objectives.
- Bolivia, ABC: Road Strategy 2026–2030: strategic programme for the national road network.
- Bolivia, Ministry of Public Works (1 October 2026): Viru Viru hub project and CAF support for tender preparation.
- Bolivia, Ministry of Public Works (2026): railway prefeasibility for Puerto Busch access.
- Inter-American Development Bank, Paraguay PR-L1200: US$200 million loan, approval and implementation documentation for the Bioceanic Corridor.
- ITAIPU Binacional, Paraguay (2026): construction progress on the Carmelo Peralta–Porto Murtinho bridge.
- FEPASA, Estudio del potencial de ferrocarril en Paraguay (May 2025): freight railway options; page 13 provides 220 km and US$450 million preliminary estimate for Concepción–Pedro Juan Caballero.
- Paraguay, DINAC (28 November 2025): completed Silvio Pettirossi expansion of 2,245 square metres.
- Uruguay, MTOP (10 August 2026): Ferrocarril Central operating results, train movements, tonnes and proposed next links.
- Uruguay, Presidency / MTOP (16 May 2026): 2025–2030 road investment programme and financing mix.
- World Bank – Logistics Performance Index 2023: survey-based comparative logistics performance baseline for the six countries; a contextual indicator, not a 2026 capacity measure.
- ECLAC / CEPAL – Port Report 2024–2025 (published 2026): regional analysis and Table 3 official-port-based container throughput data for 2024.
- INFRALATAM – Infrastructure investment database: supplementary country comparison; definitions and available years must be verified before deriving investment trends.
- IDB – Capricorn Bioceanic Corridor integration programme (2026): regional coordination context, separate from the Paraguay road-financing operation.
- MundoMarítimo – Barrancas project reporting: independent trade-press context for the Chilean rail-port connection; source figures cross-checked against the project owner.
- Source method: governmental statements describe official plans and authorisations, while development-bank records establish specific financing decisions. ECLAC and World Bank provide cross-country baselines. Operator announcements are checked for the distinction between design capacity, operational volumes and legal status.
South America Infrastructure and Market Research
For a specific project, corridor or country, Econosur can examine project status, market participants, procurement structures, logistics conditions and commercial implications using local and international sources.
Research is scoped to a defined business question. Project announcements are separated from verified investment, tenders, awarded contracts and operating results.
Explore custom market analysisFrequently Asked Questions
Which countries are included in the transport infrastructure comparison?
The analysis covers Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, examining airports, ports and waterways, roads and railways.
Will Chile's Puerto Exterior San Antonio be operating by 2035?
Not under the schedule published in 2026. Puerto San Antonio currently expects the first stage to operate around 2036; environmental approval was granted in May 2026.
Is Paraguay building a new national freight railway?
A number of freight railway projects have been studied, including Concepción–Pedro Juan Caballero. The latter has a preliminary estimate of US$450 million in FEPASA's 2025 study, but no confirmed construction schedule.
What infrastructure is already operating in Uruguay?
The Ferrocarril Central has operated since August 2024 and had handled around eight million tonnes of cargo during its first two years, according to Uruguay's transport ministry.
Are announced investments the same as financed construction projects?
No. Project pipelines, feasibility studies, loan approvals, concessions, construction contracts and operating assets represent distinct stages, and are separated in this analysis.
What makes a cross-border freight corridor competitive?
End-to-end transport cost and reliability depend on roads or railways, border clearance, port and terminal access, cargo demand and operational coordination across countries.
