Overview
- The Paso Internacional Cristo Redentor has been inoperable for 25 days because high‑mountain snowpacks and an active avalanche hazard prevent safe transit, say Argentine and Chilean agencies.
- Chile has cleared its side of the road up to the tunnel mouth and formally offered heavy machinery to help Argentina, but Chilean authorities did not confirm reopening during a recent virtual coordination call.
- Argentine crews report Ruta Nacional 7 is safely passable only as far as Puente del Inca because ice and wind‑blown snow block the final stretch to the tunnel, and Vialidad Nacional must issue a last transitability report before any movement.
- Industry groups and local businesses warn of steep costs: between roughly US$450 and US$600 per truck per day, about 1,500–2,000 trucks are currently parked in Mendoza with estimates that 2,000–4,000 vehicles could rush the corridor when it reopens.
- Authorities plan a phased reopening that would first prioritize trucks already documented in the Uspallata control area, use controlled avalanche detonations and staged convoys for safety, and keep the schedule conditional on short‑term weather forecasts.