Bi-national Study of the Management Control System of the Border Crossing Cristo Redentor System (Argentina-Chile)

CSI Ingenieros was hired by the IDB through the CSI-EPYPSA-SERMAN consortium to develop the detailed engineering for the “Management Control System for the Cristo Redentor border crossing.”
The ¨Cristo Redentor¨ border crossing system is a key link in the logistics chain that connects Mercosur to the Pacific Ocean. This system is approximately 100 kilometers long, extending from Uspallata (Argentina) up to Los Andes (Chile) and connecting the Mendoza Province, Argentine Republic to the V Region of Valparaíso, Chile. The connection is realized through the Cristo Redentor International Tunnel that is 3.0 kilometers long and is located 3,185 meters above sea level.
Given its height location, crossing the tunnel becomes difficult during winter because of the intense snowing in that area of the mountain range. Apart from the obstacles imposed by the winding access roads and their steep slopes, the adverse weather conditions, heavy snowfalls during winter and winter winds also hinder circulation. Consequently, the crossing becomes partially blocked during winter due to snowfalls, the snow having to be removed using road machinery. Extreme temperatures range from 20° C during summer and -25° C during winter.
The increase in freight and people flow leads to a congested system and to significant delays at the Border Crossing, issue that is worsened by the aforementioned adverse weather. Hence, it is deemed necessary to adjust its logistics and operational platform.

Project Scope

Stage I. Assessment, re-engineering and proposing alternatives:
- Background review, assessment of current operational status of the border crossing, proposing feasibility alternatives for the management control system. Defining and evaluating possible locations for border check points, indicating applicable adjustments to infrastructure and control procedures, including those for hardware and software.
Stage II. Designing the alternatives chosen, action plan, defining reference terms:
- Designing detailed engineering for the alternative chosen by the counterparts for both countries, as to limit the design execution.
- Environmental, financial, legal, and institutional assessment, management model specification, defining system management mechanisms, system operation monitoring, operation and maintenance, creating an action plan and relevant technical specifications to limit the scope of execution.
- Dimensioning the building and operation technologies adopted. Estimating the relevant investment amounts.
- Detailed engineering for management stations: extensive implementation of technologies across the borders for border control which aims at drastically reducing the system’s dependency on a worker or person who carries our systemic controls.
- Detailed engineering for integrated control areas: they shall focus on managing and monitoring the processes conducted in each border facility.