Route Nº4 Andresito, an opportunity for local development

Abstract

Guichón, located 90km east of the capital of the department of Paysandú, is situated on the crossroad of two national ways. East-West, Route Nº90 Ruta de los Charrúas (the first indian tribe inhabitant of this area), that between the Palmares (location of palm trees) and the Cuchilla de Haedo (line of hills) winds through farms, villages and train stations. North-South, Route Nº4 Gral Andrés Artigas “Andresito”, designed in all its length, but built in stretches: starting in the city of Artigas, ends on the junction of Route Nº5 at Carlos Reyles. Farms, sites of great inheritance value, the Rincón de Pérez(that is part of the system of protected areas SNAP), villages, streams and calzadas (bridges at the same level of water) can be found on the way. A topic that is frequently under discussion is the importance of finishing Andresito. Nowadays the Route between Guichón – Santana Stream is being bitumized, since on its margin the UPM nursery is going to be placed, covering an area of 45.000m2 for its greenhouse. This paper is focused on the Route, as the way, as the landscape and territorial path, on its design, its structure and functions, about the interactions, with the transformations that generates over the territory, the impact when crossing the settlement nets and the sites of natural and heritage value. Moreover, it is eager to place a reflection on the need to conceive Landscape and infrastructure as part of a unique and continuous process, after an integrative project that could mitigate the impacts, that could read landscape in the territorial field of reference, and that could make out the development of the settlements.