Agreement between Chile and Argentina on tunnel route

The authorities in Chile and Argentina have signed a key agreement over the Agua Negra Tunnel project. This new tunnel will provide a new link between the two countries. The link is expected to feature a twin tube design and will connect the Argentinian province of San Juan and the Chilean IV Region of Coquimbo. The tunnel will form a crucial component in the Mercosur route. The new tunnel will be in the vicinity of the current Paso de Agua Negra border crossing. When it is complete, the planned Mercosur route will provide a road link from Brazil’s Atlantic Coast ports of São Paulo and Porto Alegre to that of Chile’s port of Coquimbo, on the Pacific Coast. The tender process is being prepared at present and the schedule requires this to be launched by March of this year. Bidders will have around four months to tender for the work.