Spanish infrastructure specialist Ferrovial Agroman has won a €270m contract to build a road through the Atacama desert in Chile, a region often referred to as the driest on earth.
The project involves turning a 111km stretch of Route 25, also known as the Rutas del Loa, from a two to a four-lane road, and the construction of a 25km bypass around the town of Calama. The company will also build a facility for the University of Chile for a further €49m.
Among the work to be carried out is the construction of a 345m viaduct over the Loa River.
The university building will provide the Institute of Public Affairs and the Artistic and Cultural Extension Centre with a new home on a 3.7ha site. This will be completed by 2021.
Main image: The Rutas del Loa, en route to Calama, a town with an annual rainfall of 5mm (Fabolu/Creative Commons)
Ferrovial’s rendering of its planned viaduct
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