Construction work for the Agua Negra tunnel connecting Argentina with Chile is expected to take nine years to complete. The actual construction work will commence in 2019, although considerable activity will be required beforehand. Building the tunnel is expected to cost in the orders of US$1.5 billion. Much of the financing for the project is being provided by the 2791 Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). So far the IADB has given $20 million to Argentina and a further $20 million to Chile to pay for the necessary studies into the project.
Once the tunnel is complete it will provide a better link between the two countries than the two existing connections in the area. One tunnel is at altitude and can be blocked in poor weather during the winter. The other route is a mountain pass that is unsuited to use by heavy traffic and which has a poor record for safety, particularly in winter when it is also frequently blocked by snowfalls.
