The Cristo Redentor Pass remains closed to traffic due to intense snowfall and unstable weather conditions along the border of Argentina and Chile.
This closure disrupts a critical trade artery between the two nations, trapping logistics fleets and forcing commercial transport to seek lengthy alternative routes. The blockage affects the international crossing of Route 7, connecting the province of Mendoza in Argentina with Chilean territory.
Authorities from the Mendoza provincial government and transit officials from both countries said the closure began at 13:00 [8] on May 15, 2024 [7]. The route has remained impassable for approximately 10 to 15 days [2, 6].
The scale of the backlog varies by report. Some sources indicate more than 1,500 trucks are currently stranded [5], while other reports cite 700 vehicles [1]. Drivers have faced wait times of up to 15 days [2] as they await an official operation to clear the pass.
Severe temperatures have complicated recovery efforts, with a minimum of -27 °C recorded in the region [9]. To avoid the closure, some transport operators have opted for detours that add approximately 780 km to their journey [4].
Transit officials said the process to normalize traffic could take up to six days [3]. The government of Mendoza continues to coordinate with Chilean authorities to manage the stranded fleet, and ensure safety during the reopening process.
“The route has remained impassable for approximately 10 to 15 days.”
The prolonged closure of the Cristo Redentor Pass highlights the vulnerability of South American trade corridors to extreme weather. Because this is the primary transit point between Argentina and Chile, the accumulation of over 1,000 stranded vehicles creates a significant logistics bottleneck that can cause ripple effects in supply chains and increase shipping costs due to the extreme distance of available detours.
