Skip to main content

Earthquake rocks Chilean highways

Chile's highway system has fared remarkably well considering the severity of the massive earthquake that struck the country a few days ago. This is a crucial factor in ensuring that emergency help, food and other aid can reach the worst affected area in the south of the country quickly. The Vespucio Norte highway collapsed and while the Costanera Norte route was slightly damaged, the Vespucio Sur and Autopista Central highways were unaffected.
May 31, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Chile's highway system has fared remarkably well considering the severity of the massive earthquake that struck the country a few days ago. This is a crucial factor in ensuring that emergency help, food and other aid can reach the worst affected area in the south of the country quickly.

The Vespucio Norte highway collapsed and while the Costanera Norte route was slightly damaged, the Vespucio Sur and Autopista Central highways were unaffected. Repairs to the worst affected highways, Vespucio Norte and Ruta 5 Sur, are expected to cost some US$200-250 million however. The repair work may take up to 6-8 months to carry out.

Related Content

  • Golden route to success
    July 20, 2012
    Built in 1937 and still the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge across San Francisco Bay remains in fine shape despite its age - Andrew Bardin Williams writes The Golden Gate Bridge turned 75 years old on May 27 and continues to play a key role in the transportation, engineering, construction and ITS communities. The structure has played an important historical role, an engineering success that boosted the economy of the region. And it also led the way as the first major pub
  • Chilean highway transaction
    February 28, 2012
    The flotation deal for Chilean highway operator Autopista do Pacifico is on track.
  • New link planned to connect Chilean capital with satellite town
    May 28, 2012
    Plans are well in hand for a new link that will improve connections between capital Santiago and its fast growing satellite town of Lampa. The US$130 million project will shorten the current journey time of one hour to 35 minutes and is expected to carry some 10,000 - 17,000 vehicles/day when it opens to traffic.
  • Durability is crucial while warm mix technology can help disaster recovery
    February 21, 2013
    Why durability is crucial for both emerging and developed economies, and how warm mix technology can help disaster recovery - Kristina Smith reports. When CORE Construction, a 100% owned Ghanaian company, started working on road construction projects five years ago, it was difficult to source the right bituminous mixes. “In the past, most construction firms had a number of challenges when it came to bituminous works, since the local capacity was not well-developed,” said CORE CEO Frank Lartey. CORE’s soluti