Skip to main content

Tendering for new Chile-Argentina tunnel project

The tender process is open for the study into the planned Paso Las Lenas tunnel to connect Chile and Argentina. The study is expected to cost US$1.55 million and will be paid for by Chile’s O’Higgins Region. The tunnel will be some 11.5km long and the portal in Chile will be at an altitude of 2,020m while the entrance on the Argentine side will be at 2,364m, allowing it to be used throughout the year. The tunnel has an expected pricetag of some $1.67 billion to build, with the countries sharing the construc
March 21, 2019 Read time: 1 min

The tender process is open for the study into the planned Paso Las Lenas tunnel to connect Chile and Argentina. The study is expected to cost US$1.55 million and will be paid for by Chile’s O’Higgins Region. The tunnel will be some 11.5km long and the portal in Chile will be at an altitude of 2,020m while the entrance on the Argentine side will be at 2,364m, allowing it to be used throughout the year. The tunnel has an expected pricetag of some $1.67 billion to build, with the countries sharing the construction costs. This project to improve transport between the two countries will also include building 13km of road in Chile and 60km of road in Argentina’s Mendoza Province.

Related Content

  • Strong interest in building new Chile-Argentina tunnel link
    October 30, 2013
    Interest is strong in the proposed tunnel linking Chile and Argentina. Some 37 companies have shown expressions of interest in the US$1 billion Agua Negra road tunnel. This includes 22 consortia and includes Latin American firms such as Panedile, Techint, Camargo Correa, Jose Cartellone. It also includes the Chinese firms China Railway Construction Corporation, China Railway Bureau Group, China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Sinohydro Group. Daewoo, Hyundai Engineering and SK Eng & Construct
  • New tunnel between Argentina and Chile proves strong attraction for contractors
    November 27, 2013
    Interest is strong in the project to build the 14km tunnel link between Chile and Argentina, with reports stating that 23 firms having expressed an interest in the work. The twin tube tunnel will connect Argentina’s San Juan Province with Chile’s Coquimbo Province (Region IV) and will be constructed in the Andes Mountains. The Agua Negra project is set to cost somewhere in the range from US$800 million to $1 billion, although the exact price of the project has yet to be determined. Some 72% of the link will
  • New Argentina highway construction work
    January 11, 2019
    Construction is underway for Argentina’s new Mendoza-San Juan Highway – Mauro Nogarin reports The rehabilitation and maintenance works of more than 3,300km of routes is now underway in Argentina. This followed on after the takeover of six new road corridors under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which took place in August 2018. The rehabilitation and maintenance works are being carried out prior to the start of the main projects, which will include the construction of highways. Building the
  • Chile-Argentina tunnel loan for bidding
    December 14, 2016
    Further progress is being made with the Agua Negra Tunnel project, which will connect Chile with Argentina. A loan worth US$40 million is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). This loan will help deliver the bidding process for the project. Several bidders are being pre-qualified for the tender process. Construction of the tunnel itself is expected to take eight ant a half years with the work estimated to cost $1.6 billion. The tunnel will provide a safer and more reliable route than