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Paso Libertadores
The Paso Libertadores, also called Cristo Redentor, is a mountain pass in the Andes between Argentina and Chile. It is the main transport route out of Chilean capital city Santiago into Mendoza city in Argentina and so carries quite heavy traffic.
From the Argentinian side the route to the pass is a slow, gentle incline until entering a tunnel at around through the mountains. On the Chilean side the slope has a far higher grade, and the road descends down a long series of switch-backs to make the descent.
Opened in 1980, the tunnel is long, at an elevation of , and serves as an important land crossing between Chile and Argentina. The path can be closed during winter because of heavy snows blocking both ends and the threat of rockfall.
Its name comes from the 4 ton Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (Cristo Redentor de los Andes) statue placed in 1904 near the entrance of the Argentine side at an elevation of .
Alternative proposed tunnels
In order to ease the dependence on this only tunnel in the area and to permit year-round crossing, two lower tunnels have been proposed. One of them is the Tunel Juan Pablo II ("John Paul II Tunnel"), which would be constructed at an altitude of between and , long, to join the towns of Horcones (Argentina) and Juncal (Chile).
Another proposed tunnel, named Paso Las Lenas ("Las Lenas Pass"), at an elevation of and of length, would connect El Sosneado in Argentina (near San Rafael) and Machali, Chile.
External links
Official site of Cristo Redentor by Argentine National Gendarmerie
Official site of Cristo Redentor by Argentine National Gendarmerie
Updated state of different tunnels and crossings in Argentina
Paso Las Lenas at UTN Facultad de San Rafael, Mendoza.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Paso Libertadores
