This article is part of a daily series of MegaProjects articles. If you want to know more about PPP projects with a considerable size visit our MegaProjects section. You can receive them by email on a daily basis.Argentina and Chile through EBITAN launched in July 2013 a Request for expressions of Interest to build the Agua Negra tunnel connecting both countries. The agency announced several days ago that 23 companies or teams have expressed interest to build the project on October 21st, 2013.The project is expected to cost in excess of US$850 million. The contract for the work is expected to be agreed in 2014.The list of companies interested in the project is the following:

1. Constructora Norberto Odebrecht SA.,
2. Hochtief Construcción Chilena Ltda.,
3. China Railway 18 th Bureau (Group) Co Ltd.,
4. CSCEC-PAMAR SA.,
5. China Communication Construction Company Ltd.,
6. SK ENG & CONST. CO.Ltd.,
7. FCC Construcción SA.,
8. China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd & Electroingeniería SA.,
9. Construcoes y Comercio Camargo Correa & Panedile SA.,
10. Sinohydro Group Ltd.,
11. Hyundai Engineering & Construction & China Shandog International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group Co. Ltd.,
12. Dragados, Dycasa, Techint and Besalco,
13. Obrascon Huarte Lain SA. OHL,
14. Queiroz Galvao SA. & José Cartellone Construcciones Civiles SA,
15. Construtora OAS SA
16. Impregilo Spa.,
17. Consorcio Internacional Túnel Agua Negra: IECSA SA, Benito Roggio e Hijos SA. and Ghella Spa.,
18. Astaldi-Daewoo,
19. Skava Consulting,
20. Consorcio Paso Agua negra: ICA, GyM and Copasa,
21. Constructora CONPAX SA.,
22. Acciona Infraestructuras SA and
23. Strabag Ag.

The project:

Two parallel tunnels, one for each direction: downward from Argentina to Chile and Chile to the Argentina, 13.9 km in length. The Argentine entrance will be on altitude of 4,085 meters, and the Chilean entrance is on3,620 meters , giving the tunnel an average gradient of 3.37%.

El Paso de Agua Negra is one of the 13 projected roads that Chile and Argentina have agreed to receive preferential budgetary attention, for the purpose of improvement.

It is strategically located within the central belt of both countries and was considered a high-priority investment, because it attracts traffic itself that does not compete with any other road.