The good news about the planned road through Pumalin park in the Chilean Patagonia is that it will follow the cost line for the most part at Tompkins wanted, rather than going directly through the park.

The other good news is that road will be small. It is often referred to as a “highway”; however, we should explain that in the Patagonia of Southern Chile the term “highway” is a relatively loose term. What they mean is a 100 meter wide area for a dirt road and the power lines.

The government has also committed to keeping the speed limits in the 30 to 50 km range to protect wildlife crossing the road. This we believe, just by the nature of the road conditions in this region, they will not have a problem enforcing.  The road you see in the photos are of the existing Austral highway in southern Pumalin Park that the new road will connect with when complete.They are not building a Chilean autobahn in any sense.

It seems that the outstanding issue will be how much the Chilean government will pay Pumalin for the land. We are still waiting on an official announcement from Tompkins and Pumalin Park legal representatives on the issue. We are also waiting to see how this effects the plans to build dams in Southern Chile by Endesa. It is still on clear when the construction will begin. It seems to be slate to start in the next couple of years.

We also should mention that the Political parties from the otherside have started to critize the limited amount of money commited as being little more than a service road for Endesas.  We believe that this is far from over.

You can discuss this and other Chilean Environmental issues at www.allchile.net Chile Forum

Please also see these Related Articles on Dams and Roads in Chile's Patagonia:

The Environmental Battle for Southern Chile Part III: Tompkins, Bachelet, and the road to Chile.

Environmental Battle for Southern Chile Part II: Debating the Course of Chile’s Rivers

Environmental Battle for Southern Chile Part I: Dams, Roads, and Pumalin Park