Chile's Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has made significant progress in awarding a maintenance project for Route 5, specifically targeting the stretch connecting Ancud and Degañ in the Chiloé province.
The project, which spans 43 kilometers of the highway, will be executed by the construction company Harcha. The total investment for the works amounts to 10.7 billion pesos.
Jairo Quinteros, the Los Lagos Regional Secretary of Public Works, confirmed that the awarding process is underway and that the documentation will soon be submitted to the Comptroller General's Office for final approval.
Quinteros explained that the initiative underwent a re-evaluation process to ensure the necessary funds were secured. This adjustment prevented the tender from being declared void following the rise in construction costs.
Work expected to begin this year
Regional authorities project that construction could begin by mid-year. "If the administrative process goes smoothly, we will most likely be able to hand over the site by mid-year and begin this project, which is so vital for the island," Quinteros stated.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Ancud, Andrés Ojeda, expressed urgency regarding the start of the works, noting that the current stretch of road is in a state of critical deterioration.
"We hope this final awarding stage is completed successfully so that we can promptly begin these works, which will address the dire condition of Route 5 on this stretch," Ojeda said.
The intervention plan includes a 540-day execution period. The project aims to strengthen road connectivity in the northern part of the Chiloé archipelago.
