Christ the Redeemer International Pass closed for 58 days: more than 9,000 trucks are stranded

The International Crossing of Christ the Redeemer in the Andes has been closed for 58 days and more than 9,000 trucks are stranded waiting to cross, according to the Border Committee in an official statement. Closed until Sunday, September 10.  -9°C. The possibility of opening will be informed 24 hours in advance when weather conditions allow safe passability in high mountains, “they said from Paso Cristo Redentor de Mendoza. It is not usual that in the middle of the winter season the border crossing is disabled for such a long time. For this reason, locals called the situation a “historic snowfall and closure” for the winter of 2023. There are already 58 days of disabling the passage so far this winter season, and although we are at a time of year when it should not be closed, unfortunately our forecasts and those of our Chilean brothers are giving us the impossibility of having it enabled, “added the head of the Border Committee, Daniel Galdeano. More than 9,000 trucks are stranded waiting for the opening of the International crossing | According to Telam, the line of stranded trucks extends from the border with Chile to the town of Luján de Cuyo, in Greater Mendoza, a few kilometers from the provincial capital, as well as accumulate near the border with San Luis.In that sense, Galdeano stressed the importance of ensuring safety on the route and affirmed that the main function is to provide a passable and safe road for vehicles, which is non-negotiable. There are currently around 3,000 trucks waiting to cross from the Chilean side into Argentina and between 6,000 and 7,000 trucks waiting in Mendoza territory. In this regard, Customs, which operates 24 hours without interruption since September 1, estimated that, once the passage is opened, the almost 10,000 trucks could take approximately 5 days to cross. Weather conditions are projected to improve over the weekend although the route will require deep cleaning to ensure safe traffic. On August 30, the Cristo Redentor International Pass was briefly enabled, but trucks had to cross with chains due to the accumulation of snow. However, the opening was short-lived, as on August 31 it was closed again due to the return of adverse weather conditions. The latest climate report marked extremely cold temperatures in the mountain range region, with -3°C in Uspallata, -5°C in Punta de Vacas, -8°C in Puente de Inca and -9°C in Las Cuevas.

Original source in Spanish