| Paso de Agua Negra | |
|---|---|
Signs marking the border between Argentina and Chile at the top of Paso de Agua Negra.
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| Elevation | 4,780 m (15,682 ft) |
| Location | Argentina–Chile border |
| Range | Andes |
| Coordinates | 30°11′32″S 69°49′06″W / 30.192222°S 69.818333°W / -30.192222; -69.818333 |
 
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The Agua Negra Pass (Spanish: Paso de Agua Negra) is a pass over the Andes mountains which connects Argentina and Chile. The highest point of this pass is at 4,780 m (15,680 ft) AMSL.[1]
To improve trade between Chile and Argentina, a 14 km, three-bore vehicular tunnel (two for traffic and one for ventilation[2]) below the pass is planned, which will allow year-round traffic.[3][4] (The pass is closed for much of the winter.)
In March 2015, Argentina officially approved the project.[5] It is awaiting ratification from Chile.
In 2018, the bidding contest for the tunnel project between construction companies took place. The whole project was budgeted at 1.5 billion dollars.[6]
Also planned for the deepest part of the tunnel is the Agua Negra Deep Experiment Site (ANDES) (ANDES):[2] an underground laboratory. Because all currently operating deep underground laboratories are located in the Northern Hemisphere, a Southern Hemisphere site would have some unique benefits:
ANDES is not expected to be ready before 2027.[7]: 6, 8, 13
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Mountain passes of the Andes
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| Bolivia-Chile passes |
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| Argentina-Chile passes |
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Note: Passes are ordered by latitude from north to south | |
 | This article about a place in San Juan Province, Argentina is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Atacama Region location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
