| Paso de Agua Negra | |
|---|---|
 Signs marking the border between Argentina and Chile at the top of Paso de Agua Negra. | |
| Elevation | 4,775 m (15,666 ft) |
| Location | Argentina–Chile border |
| Range | Andes |
| Coordinates | 30°11′32″S69°49′06″W / 30.192222°S 69.818333°W /-30.192222; -69.818333 |
  | |
TheAgua Negra Pass (Spanish:Paso de Agua Negra) is a pass over theAndes Mountains which connectsArgentina andChile. The highest point of this pass is at 4,780 m (15,680 ft)AMSL.[1]
To improve trade between Chile and Argentina, a 14 km, three-bore vehicular tunnel (two for traffic and one for ventilation[2]) below the pass is planned, which will allow year-round traffic.[3][4] (The pass is closed for much of the winter.)
In March 2015, Argentina officially approved the project.[5] It is awaiting ratification from Chile.
In 2018, the bidding contest for the tunnel project between construction companies took place. The whole project was budgeted at 1.5 billion dollars.[6]
Also planned for the deepest part of the tunnel is theAgua Negra Deep Experiment Site (ANDES) (ANDES):[2] an underground laboratory. Because all currently operating deep underground laboratories are located in theNorthern Hemisphere, aSouthern Hemisphere site would have some unique benefits:
ANDES is not expected to be ready before 2027.[7]: 6, 8, 13
In 2020, the Chilean government under PresidentSebastián Piñera rejected theIADB loan for the tunnel, halting the project.[8][9]
 | This article about a place inSan Juan Province,Argentina is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
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