Another step on the lithium route: Government awards EDTP for the Tambillo Bajo tunnel

Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing Press Release

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

The Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing, Edgar Montaño, reported that the pre-investment technical design study for the construction of the Tambillo Bajo tunnel has been awarded to the company PCA Ingenieros Consultores SA , for an amount of Bs 2,175,167.

Montaño stressed that with this work “the lithium route is being fulfilled according to the instructions of brother President Lucho (…) because it will unite everything that the municipalities of Uyuni and Tupiza mean (…) we are talking about Uyuni – Hito 60, Villazón and the construction of the route to Paraguay.”

Among the characteristics of this work are: a total length of 210 m, of which 110 m correspond to the tunnel and 100 m to its junction and connection with the road, lane widths of 3.5 m to 4 m each, berms of 0.5 m to 1 m on each side of the road, sidewalks of 0.75 m to 0.85 m, and vertical clearance of 5 to 5.5 m.

The Tambillo Bajo tunnel is located at the height of the Huayra Kasa hill, in the department of Potosí, where there is a lateral embankment that erodes during the rainy season due to the flooding of the Tupiza River, an effect that requires a high maintenance cost; therefore, the infrastructure will also be an efficient alternative for traffic and stability in the sector.

Finally, the head of Public Works highlighted the impact of this project as it constitutes part of the North-South corridor, which “is an alternate bioceanic route” with an outlet in the Pacific Ocean, thus linking the country with the region and channeling the industrialization project of the National Government.