La Encrucijada (Venezuela) facts for kids

La Encrucijada is a very important place in Venezuela, especially for roads and future train lines. Its name means "The Crossroads" in Spanish, which makes sense because it's where major roads meet. It's located near a town called Turmero.

Roads Meeting Point

La Encrucijada is like a giant intersection for cars and trucks. It's about 72 kilometers (about 45 miles) southwest of Caracas, which is the capital city of Venezuela. The main highway that passes through here is called the Autopista Regional del Centro (Central Regional Highway). Many other important roads also connect at this spot, making it a key place for travel and trade in the region.

Train Plans

Trains used to run through Turmero a long time ago! There was a station there on the Great Venezuela Railway, which connected Caracas and Valencia. This old train line started in the 1890s but stopped working in the 1960s.

Now, there are big plans to bring trains back to Venezuela. La Encrucijada is chosen to be a very important train junction. This means it would be a central point where different train lines meet and connect. Some work has already started on a train route that goes mostly from east to west, near the Caribbean coast. The idea is to connect this route to other train lines that go deeper into Venezuela. However, the construction seems to have paused for now.

Images for kids

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  One of the planned train routes from La Encrucijada, a line to the River Orinoco

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  Planned train lines in Venezuela, showing a junction at La Encrucijada

See also

In Spanish: La Encrucijada (Venezuela) para niños