Andean Cristo Redentor crossing reopens after 34-day weather shutdown

After a record 34-day suspension caused by heavy snowfall and fierce winds, the Cristo Redentor tunnel that links Argentina with Chile reopened on Tuesday. The closure, linked to an unusually strong El Niño episode, had left hundreds of freight trucks stranded on both sides of the border. Argentine officials granted permission for vehicles on the Argentine side to start moving in the early hours of the reopening, easing the backlog.

Images from Mendoza showed long lines of snow-covered trucks slowly progressing once the tunnel became operational again, ending a shutdown that exceeded the 26-day interruption recorded in 2023. Experts caution that the intensified El Niño may continue to generate severe weather, including floods in Peru, Argentina and southern Brazil, and increased snowfall across the Andes through the first months of 2027. The reopening restores a vital trade corridor for the region.