en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Road Administration of Catamarca Province, Argentina, has initiated the second phase of the Chuquisaca–Antofagasta de la Sierra road project, spanning over 100 kilometers, aimed at improving transportation connectivity in the province's western lithium mining area. The first phase completed 25 kilometers of mountainous terrain, and the new phase includes an additional 80 kilometers, with the first 27 kilometers already under construction in sections traversing challenging high-altitude terrain.
Construction proceeds from El Peñón along Provincial Route 43 to its intersection with Provincial Route 34. Upon completion, the road will enhance connectivity between Fiambalá and Antofagasta de la Sierra, two major lithium mining regions in Argentina where companies such as Rio Tinto, POSCO, and Zijin Liex operate projects and production facilities.
As part of the same infrastructure plan, the provincial government confirmed that bidding for the first bridge and drainage structures on the road to Laguna Blanca will commence in August. These works will be funded through the provincial mining trust fund, a mechanism that allocates mining-related resources to infrastructure projects, aiming to improve connectivity, road safety, and traffic conditions in the northern communities of Belén Department.
The broader road investment plan also includes works on Provincial Route 43, where over 20 kilometers of pavement toward the Salta provincial border have already been completed, as well as a new phase of the historic Cuesta de Zapata road restoration project, which connects Tinogasta and Londres in Belén Department. Other projects include the construction of bypasses in Andalgalá, Antofagasta de la Sierra, and Belén, designed to improve traffic flow and strengthen the province's road infrastructure. In Belén, bidding for ancillary civil works is already underway.
Fernando Castillo, Director of the Provincial Road Administration, emphasized that projects of strategic importance to the province's connectivity will continue to advance. Governor Raúl Jalil stated that the infrastructure plan helps integrate the western region of Catamarca while supporting production activities and tourism development throughout the area.
