Vialidad tenders the completion of the improvement of Route C-46 in Atacama

The Atacama Region Road Directorate, under the Undersecretariat of Public Works of the Ministry of Public Works, has called for a public tender for the completion of the improvement works of Route C-46, in its Stage II, Freirina-Huasco sector. The announcement is published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile No. 44,538, dated Monday, August 31, 2026, in Section IV of Tenders, Competitions, Summons, and Loss of Documents, with code CVE 2862388.

The process will be carried out entirely electronically through the platform www.mercadopublico.cl, under Contract No. 427128 and Mercado Público ID No. 2011-12-O126. This is a road infrastructure project relevant to the connectivity of the Atacama Region, financed with sectoral resources and under the works contracting modality.

Scope of the works

The project comprises the completion of the improvement of Route C-46 in the section between KM 23.400 and KM 45.000, in the communes of Freirina and Huasco, province of Huasco. The works focus primarily on the implementation of road safety measures, including:

• Horizontal marking and vertical signage.
• Construction of third lanes.
• Speed information devices.
• Segregation of the multipurpose road using flexible markers.
• Incorporation of photovoltaic lighting systems.

The contract will be governed by the Unit Price Series system with Polynomial Readjustment, classified as Road Infrastructure Work Type and Asphalt Intensive Subtype. The execution period for the works is 450 calendar days.

Requirements and schedule

To participate, bidders must certify the specialty 3 OC Pavements, in the Second category. The bidding terms and background information are available on the portal www.mercadopublico.cl, and the official budget will be provided along with said background.

The process schedule includes the following key dates:

• Deadline for inquiries: September 22, 2026.
• Deadline for responses: September 29, 2026.
• Closing for receipt of technical and economic bids: October 6, 2026, at 09:00 hours.
• Opening of technical bids: October 6, 2026, at 10:00 hours.
• Opening of economic bids: October 13, 2026, at 10:00 hours.

The notice is signed by the Regional Ministerial Secretary of Public Works of the Atacama Region.

Impact for the region

The completion of the improvements to Route C-46 is key to the safety and connectivity of the communes of Freirina and Huasco, in an area of the Atacama Region with intense agricultural and mining activity. The incorporation of third lanes, signage, and photovoltaic lighting systems seeks to reduce accident rates and improve travel times for road users, consolidating a more modern and sustainable road infrastructure for the territory.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,538, August 31, 2026, Section IV (Tenders, Contests, Summons, and Loss of Documents), page 1 (official reference: CVE 2862388).