Skip to main content

Chile approves construction of the Agua Negra project through the Andes

Plans for a cross-continent upgraded road were recently boosted when Chile’s senate approved construction of its share of a major US$1.6 billion tunnel in the Andes Mountains. The Chilean approval comes after the Argentinian government gave the nod in March for construction on its section of the Agua Negra project. A tender for specific design work could be put out by September, according to the Argentinian newspaper Diario de Cuyo. The approvals resolve a number of bilateral issues including taxation
August 13, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Plans for a cross-continent upgraded road were recently boosted when Chile’s senate approved construction of its share of a major US$1.6 billion tunnel in the Andes Mountains.

The Chilean approval comes after the Argentinian government gave the nod in March for construction on its section of the Agua Negra project. A tender for specific design work could be put out by September, according to the Argentinian newspaper Diario de Cuyo.

The approvals resolve a number of bilateral issues including taxation, work laws, migration and customs. There are 18 consortia interested in the initiative, according to the newspaper.

A road across the Agua Negra Pass at 4,780m connects the provinces of San Juan in Argentina and the region of Coquimbo, Chile. But the sand and gravel pass is often closed due to poor weather during winter months of May to October.

The project, part of the Bioceanic Central Corridor, would connect the Chilean port of Coquimbo on South America’s Pacific Ocean coast with the Atlantic port of Porto Alegre in Brazil. The tunnel itself would join the Argentine town of Lujan de Cuyo, located in the province of Mendoza, with Los Andes, in Chile’s Valparaiso region,

In April last year, %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 2 17409 0 oLinkExternal World Highways reported Visit www.worldhighways.com website false /categories/road-highway-structures/features/agua-negra-tunnel-between-chile-and-argentina/ false false%> on the latest thinking behind the project.

The pass can be accessed from the Argentine side via National Highway No 150 from the province of La Rioja, which runs for 390km. From the Chilean side, the pass can be accessed by Highway 41 CH which begins in the city of La Serena and is paved up to the customs house.

The highway project consists of two parallel tunnels to carry two traffic lanes. The tunnels, almost 14km long, would have a maximum width of 11m and a maximum incline limited to 4%. Maximum speed would be 100km/h with a maximum cant, or camber, of 2.5%.

The only totally paved road between Chile and Argentina is the Cristo Redentor Pass, also called the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores. It links the cities of Mendoza, in Argentina, to Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso, through the 3.04km International Cristo Redentor Tunnel.

The tunnel, at 3,185m above sea level, was opened in 1980.Two out of every three tonnes of freight that move overland across the southern Andes have to use this route. But the pass is closed for up to 60 days during the winter.

Chile and Argentina are also planning the Aconcagua Bi-Oceanic railway project, a 52km tunnel over the Cristo Redentor Pass. The route would be bi-modal, with train cars having roll-on roll-off truck access for the journey.

Related Content

  • Geith launches automatic quick couplers at INTERMAT
    January 6, 2017
    A new range of safety-focused automatic quick couplers will be launched by Geith at INTERMAT, specifically for mini excavators. The new QC35/40 hydraulic coupler is designed for use on mini-excavators from two- to four tonnes, giving the operator a fully automatic, safe change-over system without having to leave the cab. A patented double pin locking system ensures that the coupler retains the attachment in a safe position even if there is a loss of power, said the firm.
  • Geith launches automatic quick couplers at INTERMAT
    March 19, 2012
    A new range of safety-focused automatic quick couplers will be launched by Geith at INTERMAT, specifically for mini excavators. The new QC35/40 hydraulic coupler is designed for use on mini-excavators from two- to four tonnes, giving the operator a fully automatic, safe change-over system without having to leave the cab. A patented double pin locking system ensures that the coupler retains the attachment in a safe position even if there is a loss of power, said the firm.
  • Algeria to engage Japanese government over dispute with Cojaal
    January 14, 2015
    The Algerian government is now talking directly to the Japanese government in an effort to resolve a dispute with sacked Japanese highways consortium Cojaal, In 2006, Cojaal won a US$5 billion deal to build the 359km eastern section of Algeria’s proposed 900km East-West Highway within 40 months. Algeria divided the contract into three sections, with the Chinese company Citic-CRCC winning the central and western sections, which in total was to cost around $6 billion.
  • Inter-oceanic Corridor for Brazil-Bolivia-Chile
    March 2, 2015
    A new Bolivian link is playing a key role in a major Latin American highway – Mauro Nogarin reports. Construction of a new route through Bolivia will help deliver improved transport between Latin America’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The construction of the highway between Santa Barbara-Caranavi-Quiquibey has been carried out by the consortium ARBOL. This firm is a partnership between the Argentinean company Grupo Eling and Administradora de Caminos Boliviana (ABC). The stretch of highway is an important s