The Chilean Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has officially integrated the El Melón Tunnel into the New Aconcagua Highway concession—operated by VíasChile.

The tunnel’s toll system has been streamlined into a single flat rate with no peak‑hour surcharge, resulting in permanent toll reductions for all vehicle types. For cars and SUVs, this means an approximately 45 % decrease, translating to significant monthly savings for the roughly 200,000 vehicles that use this route. The Nueva Aconcagua Highway became part of VíasChile’s operations on April 1, 2025, encompassing the Santiago–Los Vilos segment of Route 5. Backed by an estimated investment of US$1.16 billion through 2032, the initiative aims to enhance regional connectivity, improve road safety, and elevate the quality of life for communities along its 223-km stretch. The project involves widening and upgrading the route from Quilicura (km 10.8) to Los Vilos (km 229.1). As a strategic extension of the northern access to Autopista Central—VíasChile’s primary asset—the concession physically links the Metropolitan, Valparaíso, and Coquimbo regions, traversing key municipalities such as Quilicura, Colina, Lampa, Til-Til, Llay-Llay, Hijuelas, La Calera, Nogales, Zapallar, La Ligua, Papudo, and Los Vilos. As part of the planned upgrades, the project includes the following key works:

The expressways will be expanded to four lanes between the Buenaventura area and the Batuco junction, and to three lanes from the Lampa toll to the El Melón Tunnel—excluding the Las Chilcas slope—adding up to 107 km of roadway expansion. Geometric redesigns across 119 km will allow for speed limits to increase to 120 km/h in several segments. Additionally, 123.5 km of new lateral service roads will be built. Both La Calavera tunnels will be widened from two to three lanes each. Pedestrian access will also improve with the construction of 31 new footbridges and upgrades to 45 existing ones to meet universal accessibility standards. The plan includes building 19 new bridges and rehabilitating 11, as well as upgrading 20 interchanges and crossings while constructing 19 more. Five new railway crossings will be created, and five existing ones rehabilitated. In total, 155 structures will be affected—74 of them newly built. The construction phase began with the concession award on February 20, 2025, and is set to last a maximum of 90 months, concluding in 2032.