Chile Route 5

Chile Route 5 (), also known as the Longitudinal Norte y Sur and as part of the Pan-American Highway, is Chile's principal north–south highway. At about long, it extends from the Peru–Chile border near Arica in the north to Quellón on Chiloé Island in the south. It crosses 14 of Chile's 16 regions, bypassing only the regions of Aysén and Magallanes.

Route 5 is a national longitudinal route under Chile's road-numbering system. It was formally designated as such by Decree No. 556 of 1969, which established the national road-numbering system and designated the longitudinal road from Arica to Quellón as a national longitudinal road. In Santiago, the route is divided into the northern and southern sections at kilometer 0, at the intersection of Manuel Rodríguez and Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins.

History

The origins of Route 5 lie in plans for a Pan-American road network developed during the 1920s. In Chile, the road was originally known as the Camino Longitudinal. By 1930, the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo had established a continuous road linking Arica and Puerto Montt, incorporating and replacing older routes, including parts of the colonial Camino Real.

A major stage in the modernization of the road began in the 1940s with the construction of the Santiago–La Serena section. The project was associated with the Plan Serena, the urban and regional development program carried out during the presidency of Gabriel González Videla. Construction was financed in part through a loan from the Export–Import Bank of the United States, and the completed road was initially known as the Carretera Presidente Roosevelt.

In Santiago, construction of the Avenida Norte-Sur began in 1966. The road was built in an open trench through the city center and became the first urban freeway constructed in Chile. Its construction involved the demolition of numerous buildings and altered the historic urban fabric of central Santiago. Pavement improvements continued south of Santiago, and sections of the route were inaugurated in 1968. The following year, Decree No. 556 formally established the Route 5 designation.

Until 1990, Route 5 had divided carriageways only between Santiago and San Fernando. The subsequent public-works concession program led to extensive reconstruction and expansion, including the development of a high-standard divided highway between La Serena and Puerto Montt. The principal works were carried out through concessions under which private companies financed, operated, maintained, and in many cases collected tolls on sections of the highway.

Route

Northern section

Route 5 begins at the Chile–Peru border at the Chacalluta border crossing north of Arica. It continues south through Arica and Parinacota and Tarapacá, crossing the Pampa del Tamarugal. At Pozo Almonte, Route 16 provides a connection to Iquique. Route 5 then continues through the Atacama Desert toward Antofagasta, where it meets Route 1.

South of Antofagasta, the route continues through the desert toward Chañaral and Caldera. Several sections of the northern route have been upgraded through the concession system, although the route is not uniformly a divided highway. In particular, the Vallenar–Caldera concession includes both divided-road improvements and sections that remain bidirectional, including the approximately Copiapó bypass.

From Caldera, Route 5 continues south through the Atacama Desert to Vallenar and then toward La Serena. The La Serena–Vallenar section is a divided highway, with grade-separated junctions and other safety and service infrastructure.

From La Serena, Route 5 follows the coast and coastal plains southward through the Coquimbo Region and Valparaíso Region. It passes through or near Ovalle, Los Vilos, La Ligua, and La Calera, where it connects with Route 60 CH toward Valparaíso and the Los Libertadores Pass leading to Mendoza, Argentina.

Santiago

Within Santiago, Route 5 forms part of the Autopista Central, an urban freeway that carries the north–south route through the metropolitan area. The urban system includes the North–South axis and the General Velásquez axis. Route 5's kilometer 0 is located at Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, where the route is conventionally divided into Route 5N and Route 5S.

The urban freeway was developed in stages beginning in the 1960s. The North–South axis was built through central Santiago as the Avenida Norte-Sur, while the General Velásquez axis forms a parallel north–south corridor west of the central axis.

Southern section

South of Santiago, Route 5 continues as Route 5S through the O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos regions. It passes near or through Rancagua, San Fernando, Curicó, Talca, Linares, Chillán, Los Ángeles, Collipulli, Victoria, and Temuco. Numerous bypasses and grade-separated junctions have been constructed as part of the highway's modernization.

The southern route is predominantly a divided highway between Santiago and Puerto Montt. Major concessioned sections include Santiago–Talca, Talca–Chillán, Chillán–Collipulli, Collipulli–Temuco, Temuco–Río Bueno, and Río Bueno–Puerto Montt.

The Río Bueno–Puerto Montt section is a divided highway approximately long and crosses the provinces of Ranco, Osorno, and Llanquihue. It passes near Osorno and Puerto Varas before reaching Puerto Montt.

From Puerto Montt, Route 5 continues southwest through the Los Lagos Region to Pargua on the Chacao Channel. The Puerto Montt–Pargua section is a divided highway and is operated under a public-works concession.

Chiloé

At Pargua, Route 5 crosses the Chacao Channel by ferry to Chiloé Island. The route resumes at Chacao and continues south through the island, passing near Ancud, Castro, and Chonchi before terminating at Quellón. The Chiloé section is fully paved.

The route does not continue into Aysén or Magallanes. The Carretera Austral begins in the Puerto Montt area and provides the principal road connection farther south, but it is a separate national route rather than a continuation of Route 5.

Road standard and concessions

Route 5 consists of road sections with different standards. The central and southern portions include extensive controlled-access divided highway, while some northern sections remain two-lane roads. The national road system is periodically upgraded through both direct public investment and concessions.

The concession program that transformed Route 5 began in the 1990s. By 2000, the major La Serena–Puerto Montt concession program had created a high-standard divided highway over approximately , divided into several concession contracts.

As of 2026, several of the original concession contracts have expired and have been replaced or re-tendered. The Ministry of Public Works lists second concessions for the Santiago–Los Vilos, Los Vilos–La Serena, Talca–Chillán, Chillán–Collipulli, Temuco–Río Bueno, and Río Bueno–Puerto Montt sections, among others.

The northern section between Caldera and Antofagasta is also subject to a modernization project. The proposed project covers approximately and is intended to introduce a divided highway with two lanes in each direction, although the project is not yet the existing standard of the entire section.

Tunnels

Route 5 includes several tunnels, particularly in the central part of the country. Among the best-known are the El Melón Tunnel and La Calavera Tunnel. The El Melón tunnel, constructed under the public-works concession system and opened in 1995, is approximately long and carries Route 5 through the El Melón hill.

The La Calavera tunnel is located on Route 5 in the Valparaíso Region. The route also includes the Angostura tunnel in the Angostura de Paine area south of Santiago.

Chile Route 5

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