MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cruise jetty for Puerto Natales.

Ten million US dollars will be invested in upgrading and promoting Puerto Natales to the north of Punta Arenas and close to the world famous Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia.

According to press reports from Punta Arenas the Chilean Ministry of Public Works is planning an 80 meters extension to the current jetty, a terminal for cruise visitors and the extraction of 10,000 tons of rocks in the narrows leading to Puerto Natales that in windy days makes sailing into the sound rather risky.

The extension will give Puerto Natales a jetty sufficiently long as to receive cruise vessels 135 meters long, whose arrivals will be ensured by clearing the access to the port in Kirk strait.

Juan Rusque head of the Port and Jetty Construction Department in the Chilean Ministry of Public Works avoided announcing a timetable for the whole works but pointed out that it's a long term project and in six months all the necessary surveying and data will have been collected and ready to draft the conditions for the bidding.

"This is a very important project not only for Ultima Esperanza province, but also for the whole of Patagonia and Chilean Antarctica, since we're extending the touring potential and itinerary of the cruise industry", explained Mr. Rusque.

Regarding Punta Arenas Mr. Rusque said that next July the third and final stage of the coastal fishermen complex including protected jetties, cold storage capacity, offices, winches, ramps and provision of all services should be beginning.

"We're talking of a paved area of 9,000 square meters and an overall investment of five million US dollars, which is a considerable development sum", underlined Mr. Rusque.