Bi-Oceanic Corridor Project Presented in Trinidad and Tobago.

During the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago between April 17-19, 2009, Eduardo Eurnekian chairmaster of Corporación América presented the Bi-Oceanic Corridor Project that will connect MERCOSUR to Asian markets.
Former Secretary of State and actual Special Advisory of Corporación América, Rafael Bielsa, was in charge of the presentation during the II Hemispheric Private Sector Forum held in Port of Spain as one of the Forums previous to the Summit. Bielsa was part of the panel “Largest Infrastructure Projects in the Americas “ with Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) President, Luis Alberto Moreno, and Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) President & CEO, Enrique García. IADB and CAF are both the main financiers of the project.
With an investment of U$3.000 million, the Bi-Oceanic Corridor will link, trough a broad gauge railroad system, the cities of Luján de Cuyo in Mendoza with Los Andes in the 5th Region of Chile. The 52 Km. tunnel will be built 2.300 meters above sea level and will be open 365 days a year.
“This project can be compared to the Suez and Panama Canals because it will be the first tunnel linking two oceans and five countries, including Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay”, said Bielsa during his dissertation.
This tunnel is not only a door for MERCOSUR to international markets such as China, Australia and West of USA and Mexico, but will also allow Chile to gain access to European and African markets through the Buenos Aires Port.
Argentina and Chile exchange 7,5 million tons a year trough the actual border crossing, Cristo Redentor. This crossing is 3.200 meters above sea level, and stays closed for almost 2 months a year due to climate. Estimations calculate that in year 2020 these countries would reach, thanks to the Bi-Oceanic Corridor, a bilateral exchange of 20 million annual tons.
Already six companies integrate the holding that participate in the tunnel construction. The Brazilian construction company Odebrecht has lately joined the Chilean Interocéanica, the Argentinean José Cartellone Civil Constructions, the Spanish COMSA, and the Italian GEODATA.
As for the steps to follow, former Secretary of State Rafael Bielsa said that “the holding has signed memos of understanding and the initiative has been declared of national interest by both the Argentinean and Chilean governments”.