San Juan to Bid Out Route 40 Upgrade This Month

The San Juan provincial government is moving forward decisively with one of the most significant road announcements of its administration: in the coming weeks, it will formally open bidding to reconstruct and modernize Route 40 North, the section connecting Albardón with Jáchal, which will be financed through an agreement with the Vicuña Project.

Work scheduled to begin by year-end

Fernando Perea, Minister of Infrastructure, Water and Energy, confirmed that the official intent is to call for interested contractors in the short term, so that work on the ground can begin between late November and early December.

This was stated, a month ago, by San Juan Vice Governor Fabián Martín to Comunicaciones Mineras, noting that the project will go to tender following legislative approval.

Marcelo Orrego, Governor of San Juan, announcing a landmark agreement for Route 40 infrastructure.

Funding through the Vicuña Project agreement

The project, covering approximately 143 kilometers, will be financed through an agreement reached between the Province and the Vicuña mining project, which is allocating $250 million to an infrastructure trust fund. This agreement, which had generated strong debate in the Legislature months earlier, ultimately garnered broad support across various political blocs, largely due to the project's critical importance for the province.

Four sections to expedite execution

The plan divides the work into four sections, beginning at the extremities to more quickly address critical bottlenecks:

• Section 1 (Albardón–Villicum): 12 km, will become a dual-carriageway expressway with two lanes per direction and concrete median divider.

• Section 2 (Villicum–Talacasto): 39 km, will maintain single-lane roadway but will add third passing lanes, culverts, and hydraulic barriers.

• Sections 3 and 4 (Talacasto–Niquivil–San Roque): the longest stretch, 92 km, has been divided into two parts to facilitate execution, extending to San Roque in Jáchal.

According to Perea, priority will be given to beginning work on the outer sections, as the intermediate zones present more complex conditions—such as stream crossings and flood-prone areas—that require specialized technical approaches.

Final technical adjustments

Currently, Ministry teams are racing against the clock to finalize the bid documents. Although the detailed engineering design is complete, some coordination with National Roads Authority remains to be completed, as this agency must give final approval to ensure compatibility with the federal route alignment.

With timelines tightened, the province hopes to close out the year by launching one of the most significant road infrastructure projects in recent years, at a moment when the local employment generation that the project will bring is also being highlighted.

With information from Diario de Cuyo and 0264.