MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

The main land crossing between Argentina and Chile passes its winter closure record

The corridor was closed as a precaution on July 14 in anticipation of the forecasts

The Cristo Redentor international crossing, which links the Argentine province of Mendoza with Chile's Valparaíso Region through the Andes, has now been closed for close to a month because of a snow and wind storm, surpassing the winter closure record set in 2023. Authorities on both sides estimate it could reopen next week, depending on weather conditions.

The corridor was closed as a precaution on July 14 in anticipation of the forecasts. Snowfall extended between the settlements of Punta de Vacas and Las Cuevas, reached accumulations of up to four meters in some sections and affected 80 kilometers of Route 7, the largest such record in the area since 2008, according to the national roads agency. Winds blew at between 110 and 160 kilometers per hour, with zero visibility.

Official counts put the number of international freight trucks held at various points in Mendoza at around 1,550, although transport sector estimates raise the figure above 2,000. Drivers from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile are among those stranded. Each immobilized vehicle represents losses of close to 600 dollars a day, according to the sector's own calculations.

The delay has drawn criticism. The Mendoza truck owners' association toured the corridor and said the road was in good condition at least as far as Puente del Inca, and called for the tunnel to be opened. The national roads agency replied that clearing work reached the mouth of the international tunnel on August 9, but that winds prevent traffic being allowed through to Las Cuevas and that precautions are being intensified given the risk of avalanches.

In Chile, the head of the Border Crossings Unit, Sergio Salazar, rejected the idea that opportunities had been missed. “There really were no such windows,” he said, explaining that work on the Chilean side was completed the previous Friday and on the Argentine side this week. He said the only opening was brief and risky, and the decision was not to expose a small number of trucks.

Reopening will not restore normal traffic immediately. Authorities calculate between five and six days to clear the accumulated backlog, constrained by the winter timetable, which limits operations to around twelve hours a day. Under normal conditions the corridor handles between 500 and 600 trucks daily.

The storm has also kept the Pehuenche, Agua Negra, Pircas Negras, Pino Hachado and San Francisco crossings closed. Alternative routes to the Pacific involve travelling around 2,000 additional kilometers.