The Journey to the Interoceanic Highway in Peru: The Perils in Histories of Infrastructure

The origins of roads often bespeak important lessons for those who later seek to pursue infrastructure projects. This is especially the case for routes through difficult landscapes. We use the case of the Interoceanic Highway in the Andes-Amazon transition of southeastern Peru in western South America to illustrate the perils that constitute the history of infrastructure. The journey to the Interoceanic Highway was a long one, involving INDIGENOUS cultures, the Incan Empire, Spanish conquistadores, missionaries, scientists, rubber barons, development agencies, construction companies, and ambitious politicians. All were motivated by the possibility of riches that a highway might permit, and all found the costs to be far greater than they anticipated. There are many chapters in the history of the journey to a road, and it is crucial to respect the lessons of the past to avoid paying dearly in the future.