Where are the $3 billion in roads being built in Panama?

Thanks to La Prensa we now have a complete picture of where the roads will go and the cost of them. Many of us have been concerned about a proposed road from Boquete to Bocas del Toro. They are preparing to start the construction of a four lane highway from David to Boquete and then it is to continue over the mountain range to Punta Robalo  on the Caribbean. My concerns have been mitigated to some degree through some conversations with folks in the know here in Panama. The road will not go through Boquete, but will turn east somewhere between Caldera turn off and Alto Boquete. But the question still remains, why spend the hundreds of millions to build this road?

Well there are a number of reasons that justify the building of the road of which tourism represents a relatively small part. It has more to do with natural resources such as hydro and mining and the ability to access them. More on this later.