At an altitude of 4,085 meters, the Agua Negra Tunnel returns to priority in 2026 after a meeting between José Antonio Kast and Javier Milei, with two parallel tunnels of 13.9 km, a 535-meter ventilation shaft, and a corridor costing approximately US$1.5 billion to bring the Southern Cone closer to the Pacific.

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 25/04/2026 at 19:44

Updated on 25/04/2026 at 19:45

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Agua Negra Tunnel foresees two 13.9 km tunnels under the Andes at over 4,000 meters to connect Argentina and Chile with a permanent route to the Pacific.

According to the Agua Negra Tunnel Binational Entity, the project consists of two parallel tunnels, each 13.9 kilometers long, drilled under the Andes Mountains at an entrance altitude of approximately 4,085 meters on the Argentine side, more than 700 meters below the current summit of the mountain pass that currently serves the region, but still above the altitude of most world capitals.

Each tube will be approximately 12 meters in diameter, with the galleries separated by approximately 90 meters of rock and connected by emergency passages every 500 meters. The estimated cost of the work is US$1.5 billion, with funding planned by the governments of Argentina and Chile and support from the Inter-American Development Bank, which has already approved an initial loan of US$280 million. The estimated construction period varies between eight and ten years from the effective start of excavations. The work has not yet begun, but the need for the project has existed for decades.

Andes Mountain Range acts as a logistical barrier separating the Atlantic from the Pacific in South America

The Andes Mountain Range extends for about 7,000 kilometers along the South American continent, with peaks exceeding 6,000 meters in altitude. This geographical formation acts as a significant physical barrier between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

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Cristo Redentor Pass closes up to 60 days a year and limits land transport between Argentina and Chile

The main road connection between Argentina and Chile in the central region is the Los Libertadores International Pass, known as Cristo Redentor.

Located at approximately 3,200 meters above sea level, this corridor records intense traffic of passengers, vehicles, and cargo. In 2018, there were over 1.2 million people, 376 thousand vehicles, and 3.5 million tons of goods.

However, the route presents critical limitations. During winter, the pass can remain closed for 45 to 60 days a year due to snow, ice, risk of landslides, and extreme conditions on the zigzag curves on the Chilean side, known as “Los Caracoles”. This instability compromises logistical predictability, an essential factor for international trade.

Agua Negra Tunnel creates new permanent route south of Mendoza without depending on climatic conditions

The Agua Negra Tunnel project proposes a structural solution to this problem by creating a new passage 400 kilometers south of Mendoza.

Unlike current routes, the tunnel will be built under the mountain, eliminating dependence on extreme surface weather conditions.

The new connection will allow continuous operation throughout the year, regardless of snow, ice, or superficial geological risks.

In April 2026, the Agua Negra Tunnel returned to the center of the binational agenda after improved connectivity between Chile and Argentina gained momentum in the meeting between José Antonio Kast and Javier Milei, leading the regional government of Coquimbo to re-establish the project as a strategic priority.

The relationship with the tunnel is direct: the official defense of the project is that it offers a permanent, high-standard, and year-round operational connection between Coquimbo and the Argentine province of San Juan, overcoming the seasonal limitations of current Andean passes, reducing logistical costs, and strengthening a corridor considered key to bringing the Southern Cone closer to the Pacific ports.

Construction at an altitude above 4,000 meters poses extreme engineering and logistical challenges

Excavation will be carried out in a region where atmospheric pressure corresponds to about 60% of that found at sea level, directly impacting equipment performance and the physical capacity of the teams.

The environment presents intense thermal variations and complex geological conditions, with the presence of volcanic rocks such as andesite and rhyolite, as well as fault zones mapped along the route.

Despite regional seismic activity, studies indicate a predominance of deep earthquakes, which reduces direct structural risks to the tunnel.

Ventilation, safety, and operation system foresees infrastructure equivalent to a small power plant

The project includes a forced ventilation system with an estimated power of 14.5 megawatts, sufficient to maintain air circulation under safe conditions inside the tunnels.

Safety systems are planned, such as emergency passages every 500 meters, anti-seismic structures, and support facilities at the entrances. The projected lifespan of the infrastructure is at least 100 years.

At an altitude of 4,085 meters, the Agua Negra Tunnel returns to priority in 2026 after a meeting between José Antonio Kast and Javier Milei, featuring two parallel 13.9 km tunnels, a 535-meter ventilation shaft, and a corridor costing approximately US$1.5 billion to bring the Southern Cone closer to the Pacific — Agua Negra Tunnel illustration

Construction will use the drill-and-blast method, which consists of drilling followed by controlled rock blasting.

This technique is widely used in large infrastructure projects, including alpine and intercontinental tunnels.

The main challenge is not technological, but logistical, considering the need to operate at high altitude, with severe weather and limited access.

Central Bioceanic Corridor depends on the tunnel to connect Brazil to the Pacific by land

The Agua Negra Tunnel is a fundamental part of the Central Bioceanic Corridor, a project that connects Porto Alegre, Brazil, to Coquimbo, Chile.

A large part of the route is already consolidated by highways, with the tunnel remaining as the main missing link to complete the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The completion of the work will allow reducing distances by up to 7,000 kilometers and shortening logistical deadlines by up to 20 days for exports destined for Asia.

ANDES Laboratory can transform tunnel into a strategic scientific center in the Southern Hemisphere

The project foresees the construction of the underground ANDES laboratory at the deepest point of the tunnel. With about 1,750 meters of rock above, the location offers ideal conditions for particle physics research, including neutrino detection and dark matter studies.

The laboratory will be the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, complementing existing facilities in Europe and North America.

Despite institutional advances since the creation of the Binational Entity in 2010 and the approval of partial financing by the IDB, the project still depends on definitive agreements between Argentina and Chile.

Issues such as cost sharing, concession model, financial guarantees, and execution schedule remain open.

Political changes in both countries over the years have contributed to implementation delays.

Now we want to know: can the Agua Negra Tunnel finally integrate the Southern Cone with a permanent land route between two oceans?

The project represents a potential transformation in South American logistics, with direct impacts on international trade and regional integration.

In your view, will the project get off the ground in the coming years or will it remain one of South America’s great unfinished projects?

Agua Negra Tunnel foresees two 13.9 km tunnels under the Andes at over 4,000 meters to connect Argentina and Chile with a permanent route to the Pacific.

Andes Mountain Range acts as a logistical barrier separating the Atlantic from the Pacific in South America

Cristo Redentor Pass closes up to 60 days a year and limits land transport between Argentina and Chile

Agua Negra Tunnel creates new permanent route south of Mendoza without depending on climatic conditions

Construction at an altitude above 4,000 meters poses extreme engineering and logistical challenges

Ventilation, safety, and operation system foresees infrastructure equivalent to a small power plant

Central Bioceanic Corridor depends on the tunnel to connect Brazil to the Pacific by land

ANDES Laboratory can transform tunnel into a strategic scientific center in the Southern Hemisphere

Now we want to know: can the Agua Negra Tunnel finally integrate the Southern Cone with a permanent land route between two oceans?

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Agua Negra Tunnel foresees two 13.9 km tunnels under the Andes at over 4,000 meters to connect Argentina and Chile with a permanent route to the Pacific.

Andes Mountain Range acts as a logistical barrier separating the Atlantic from the Pacific in South America

Cristo Redentor Pass closes up to 60 days a year and limits land transport between Argentina and Chile

Agua Negra Tunnel creates new permanent route south of Mendoza without depending on climatic conditions

Construction at an altitude above 4,000 meters poses extreme engineering and logistical challenges

Ventilation, safety, and operation system foresees infrastructure equivalent to a small power plant

Central Bioceanic Corridor depends on the tunnel to connect Brazil to the Pacific by land

ANDES Laboratory can transform tunnel into a strategic scientific center in the Southern Hemisphere

Now we want to know: can the Agua Negra Tunnel finally integrate the Southern Cone with a permanent land route between two oceans?

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

After 14 years of construction and a diplomatic crisis that nearly led to a military confrontation over control of the Nile, Ethiopia inaugurated the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa — the dam is 170 meters high, holds 74 billion cubic meters of water, and generates 5,150 megawatts.

Itajaí presents an international-standard cruise terminal, over 20,000 m² and with a structure for the largest ocean liners, after a season with 37 calls and 160,000 passengers, in a project that aims to unlock port operations and transform the city into a maritime tourism powerhouse.

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New York City subway passengers change plans when the weather is severe, and a study shows why heavy rain reduces night trips while extreme cold hardly affects the routine.

Itajaí presents an international-standard cruise terminal, over 20,000 m² and with a structure for the largest ocean liners, after a season with 37 calls and 160,000 passengers, in a project that aims to unlock port operations and transform the city into a maritime tourism powerhouse.

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Metsul warns of an intense extratropical cyclone in the South Atlantic with rain, winds above 100 km/h, and the advance of a cold air mass over Southern Brazil, dropping temperatures to as low as 5°C in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.