US$14 million in funding for the Chilean regions of O’Higgins, Maule and Bio Bio was announced in recent days to implement iRAP recommendations and improve road network safety.

The funding announcement was made by the Chilean Road Authority via the Road Safety Department at the presentation of final results for iRAP’s tri-region assessment undertaken this year.

iRAP LAC Senior Road Safety Engineer Morgan Fletcher said the funding announcement represented a major investment in safety and positive outcome from the project which star rated over 2,500km of roads across the three regions.

A Chilean Engineering consultancy LEN transformed iRAP’s recommendations into preliminary designs as part of the project, which the Ministry of Public Works will now assess to determine which treatments will be implemented.

“Road upgrades will focus on barriers, delineation, intersections, vulnerable road users, and treatments around schools,” Mr Fletcher said.

Photo caption: iRAP’s Agustin Centeno training road authority staff