Paso Libertadores

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Los Libertadores Pass
Elevation	3,500 m (11,483 ft)
Location	Chile / Argentina
Range	Andes
Coordinates	°′N, °′E

The Paso Libertadores, also called Cristo Redentor, is a mountain pass in the Andes between Argentina and Chile. It is the main transport route out of Chilean capital city Santiago into Mendoza city in Argentina and so carries quite heavy traffic.

From the Argentinian side the route to the pass is a slow, gentle incline until entering a tunnel at around 3,500 m (11,483 ft) through the mountains. On the Chilean side the slope has a far higher grade, and the road descends down a long series of switch-backs to make the descent.

Opened in 1980, the tunnel is 3,080 m (10,105 ft) long, at an elevation of 3,175 m (10,417 ft), and serves as an important land crossing between Chile and Argentina. The path can be closed during winter because of heavy snows blocking both ends and the threat of rockfall.

Its name comes from the 4 ton Christ the Redeemer of the Andes (Cristo Redentor de los Andes) statue placed in 1904 near the entrance of the Argentine side at an elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft).

[edit] Alternative proposed tunnels

In order to ease the dependence on this only tunnel in the area and to permit year-round crossing, two lower tunnels have been proposed. One of them is the Túnel Juan Pablo II ("John Paul II Tunnel"), which would be constructed at an altitude of between 2,250 m (7,382 ft) and 2,720 km (8,923,885 ft), 20 km (12 mi) long, to join the towns of Horcones (Argentina) and Juncal (Chile).

Another proposed tunnel, named Paso Las Leñas ("Las Leñas Pass"), at an elevation of 2,050 m (6,726 ft) and 13 km (8 mi) of length, would connect El Sosneado in Argentina (near San Rafael) and Machali, Chile.