Rutas del Loa Roadway Concession

Ferrovial Construction Chile is designing and building the Rutas del Loa Roadway Concession contract in the provinces of Antofagasta and El Loa, passing through the municipalities of Sierra Gorda and Calama.

What is Rutas del Loa?

Rutas del Loa is a toll road project being developed by Ferrovial Construcción in the provinces of Antofagasta and El Loa, crossing the municipalities of Sierra Gorda and Calama.

It forms part of the Chilean Ministry of Public Works’ concession program and is managed by Concesionario Ruta del Loa Sociedad Concesionaria S.A., whose shareholders are Intervial Chile S.A. and ISA Inversiones Tolten Ltda.

The total budget for the project is €250 million.

How is the work divided?

The project is divided into two main sectors:

• Sector A: 112 km on the current Route 25, between Calama and Carmen Alto. It includes the construction of a new roadway, the rehabilitation of the existing one, and a toll plaza.
• Sector B: 25 km of new dual carriageway, which acts as an eastern bypass for Calama. This section is not under concession and includes one of the most outstanding structures of the project: the 318-meter-long Yalquincha Viaduct.

Under what conditions is the project being developed?

The project is being carried out in the Atacama Desert, one of the most arid areas on the planet, more than 1,500 km from Santiago, Chile.

In addition to the scarcity of human and material resources, the project has faced the 2019 social unrest in Chile, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 inflation of materials, which has required flexible and efficient operational management.

How has Ferrovial responded to the challenges of the project?

Thanks to the coordination of the technical teams—Technical Management, Contract Management, Machinery Fleet, Tecpresa, Digital Construction, Innovation, and Operational Efficiency—the project has continued to progress in line with contractual milestones.

The expected completion dates are:

• Sector A: October 2023.
• Sector B: January 2025.

The result will be an improvement in the development of the Antofagasta Region, an increase in road safety levels, and a reduction in accident rates.

What role does the Abacus Project play in Rutas del Loa?

Rutas del Loa follows the guidelines of the Abacus Project, Ferrovial Construction’s strategic plan launched in 2020.

This framework promotes safety, health, and well-being, talent development, and technological innovation applied to construction.

Currently, more than 400 professionals are part of the direct project team, reaching peaks of up to 1,000 people when subcontractors are included.