[sustran] More News on Santiago's Tollroad

[Christopher Zegras]

Courtesy of Chipnews (www.chip.cl), Dec. 3.  

--  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL REJECTS COSTANERA.  The
Advisory Board of the Regional Commission on the Environment
(Corema) rejected Tuesday the environmental impact study (EIS)
for the Costanera Norte highway project, one of the biggest public
works projects in Santiago in the last decade.  The EIS had been
submitted by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP).
        The estimated US$330 million Costanera project, which
would link Lo Barnechea with the western part of Santiago via
high-speed roadway, has been under attack by environmental
groups in upper-middle class neighborhoods like Providencia and
Bellavista.  Critics say the project will route heavy traffic right
through some of Santiago's most quiet and residential
communities.  Others claim the project will pollute popular
recreational areas like Cerro San Cristobal, under which the
Costanera project proposes building a tunnel.
        The Advisory Board's decision is significant because all
public and private industrial projects in Chile must submit and
have approved an environmental study.  Construction on such
projects cannot begin until their EIS is approved by Corema.
        The Advisory Board's decision, however, is only one of three
inputs through which Corema will make a final pronouncement on
the project.  The other two deal with meetings with technicians
from the Public Works and Finance Ministries on the feasibility of
the plan and a report providing feedback from citizens who would
potentially be affected by the highway.  No dates have been set
for the submission of these remaining reports, stumping observers
as to when Corema will make a final call on the Costanera.
        President Frei originally said the bidding process on the
construction and administration of the project would begin on
December 15, but he has since pushed the date back to April 28.


 Christopher Zegras       http://www.iiec.org                 /\   /^\
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