Route 8 is a
National Road
The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
in the
Beni Department
Beni (), sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern Departments of Bolivia, department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second-largest department in the country (after Santa Cruz), covering 213,564 square kilometers (82,458 ...
of
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. It runs for 696 kilometres from
Guayaramerín to
Yucumo, where the
Route 3 can be joined.
Route
Route 8 crosses the western area of the Beni Department in a north-south direction, from Guayaramerin to Yucumo. It begins in the Bolivian lowlands on the border with
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and runs roughly parallel to the
Beni River
The Beni River () is a river in the north of Bolivia.
It rises north of La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. Wit ...
along the
Moxos plains in the Beni savannah to the eastern edge of the Bolivian
forelands.
The northernmost section of Route 8, from Guayaramerin to
Riberalta is paved, as is the southernmost section, from
Yucumo to
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the north of Bolivia, on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years, it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Par ...
. There are plans in place to continue
asphalting the unpaved sections, so that the entire Route 8 is paved.
History
Route 8 was declared a Bolivian National Road under the Network "''Red Vial Fundamental''" by Decree 25.134 of 31 August 1998.
[lexivox.or]
Decreto Supremo N° 25134, 21 de agosto de 1998
/ref>
References
Roads in Bolivia
{{National Roads in Bolivia