The metal arches curve as if they were a miniature mountain range, mimicking the Andes. Behind them in the distance, the actual mountains overlook traffic that barely slows to a stop at toll booths along the highway from Santiago de Chile to Talca, better known as the Ruta del Maipo.

The 240 kilometers of the route traverse through the Valle Central, the “central valley.” It has connected the Chilean capital with the country’s agricultural heartlands for more than two decades.

Construction on the Ruta del Maipo was done by Ferrovial Construction in the late 1990s. This work involved renovating and upgrading 190 kilometers of the existing highway, building a by-pass to the city of Rancagua, and constructing a new 47-kilometer section of highway to link the Chilean capital and the south of the country.

The highway starts to the south of Santiago and covers a little under 30 kilometers. Then, it runs into its first major roadblock: the Angostura river. Here, the road follows the water. The river starts in the mountains and flows into the Maipo, where it departs from the mythical Angostura tunnel. This tunnel that crosses under the Andes is still part of the Pan-American highway connecting the Yukon with Tierra del Fuego. Its route also partially follows the highway to Talca.

The Santiago-Talca highway is a symbol of Ferrovial’s international expansion in the 1990s.