On December 31, 2021, The Chilean Ministry of Public Works published one of the last calls for bids before closing 2021, corresponding to the modernization and improvement of the current Route 68. The 140.7 km project will connect the municipalities of Santiago, Valparaíso and Viña del Mar and has a budget of approximately US $ 1.2 billion - the highest amount ever in a call for bids under Sebastián Piñera's administration. The receipt of offers is scheduled for December 2, 2022, and the award of the work should be carried out in mid-2023. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with lane expansions, service roads, bridges, tunnels and a new two-lane reversible road. The final project is expected to serve a monthly average of 7,700 people.
With the announcement of this final concession for 2021, the Ministry of Public Works reached a historical record of 12 calls for bids in the Concessions portfolio for a total investment of US $ 4.67 billion. This amount is more than 2.5 times the historical maximum and almost 6 times the 2010-2018 annual average (US $ 828 million). The concession for Route 68 is part of a 12-project agenda which includes six hospitals, the third concession of the El Loa Airport, and five road works, including Route 5, Chacao-Chonchi section and the second concession for Route 5 Chillán-Collipulli section. In parallel to this work, the government has developed a significant number of comprehensive studies of projects which will allow the country to maintain a similar level of investment in the future.
