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| National Route 40 (Argentina) | |
|---|---|
| Country | ARG |
| Type | National |
| Route | 40 |
| Length km | 5195 |
| Direction a | North |
| Terminus a | La Quiaca |
| Direction b | South |
| Terminus b | Camarones |
| Provinces | Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza, Río Negro, Neuquén, Chubut |
National Route 40 (Argentina) is a longitudinal highway that runs parallel to the Andes from La Quiaca at the Bolivia–Argentina border to Camarones on the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning roughly 5,195 km, it traverses diverse altitudes, climates, and provinces and connects remote mountain communities with regional capitals and national highways such as National Route 9 and National Route 3. The road is famed for its scenic passages near Aconcagua, Iruya, Quebrada de Humahuaca, and the Paso de Agua Negra corridor.
The route begins at La Quiaca adjacent to the Villazón–La Quiaca border crossing and descends through the Puna de Atacama into Quebrada de Humahuaca near Jujuy and Tilcara, linking to Ruta 9 and providing access to San Salvador de Jujuy. Proceeding south, it crosses high passes such as near Abra del Acay in Salta and skirts the western flanks of Sierra de Aconquija entering Catamarca and La Rioja, intersecting Ruta 60 and Ruta 20. Through San Juan it approaches the Cordon del Plata and Mendoza where it runs close to Mendoza City and Uco Valley. Farther south it crosses the Neuquén and Río Negro valleys, passing near Villa La Angostura, San Carlos de Bariloche, and El Bolsón before entering Chubut and terminating at Camarones on the Atlantic Ocean. The route alternates paved and unpaved segments, mountain switchbacks, high-altitude plateaus, and Patagonian steppe.
Origins trace to pre-Columbian and colonial trackways used by the Inca Empire and later by Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata caravans connecting mining districts like Potosí and Córdoba. In the 20th century, national integration efforts under presidents such as Hipólito Yrigoyen and Juan Domingo Perón prioritized trans-Andean corridors, resulting in formal designation as a national route during the 1940s and successive paving campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s. Construction projects engaged contractors from provinces and national entities like the Dirección Nacional de Vialidad and were influenced by bilateral infrastructure agreements with Chile for passes including Paso San Francisco and Paso de Agua Negra. Notable milestones include the opening of the paved stretch near Mendoza during the 1970s energy and transport expansion and later tourist-driven upgrades in the 1990s and 2000s funded by provincial governments and development banks.
Major junctions link with Ruta 9, Ruta 33, Ruta 7, Ruta 20, Ruta 22, and Ruta 3, providing continuity to cities such as San Salvador de Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca City, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza City, Neuquén, Viedma, and Comodoro Rivadavia. Landmarks include the high-altitude Abra del Acay, the Quebrada de Humahuaca UNESCO area near Tilcara, Cerro Aconcagua viewpoint near Mendoza, salt flats like the Salar de Antofalla, glacial lake systems in Nahuel Huapi, and marine cliffs at Península Valdés proximate to southern sectors. Cultural sites along the route include Pucará de Tilcara, colonial churches in Humahuaca, mining heritage at La Rioja mining districts, and estancias in Patagonia.
The road is central to adventure tourism, attracting motorcycle touring, cyclotourism, 4x4 expeditions, and long-distance road trips promoted by provincial tourism boards like Mendoza Tourism and Patagonia Tourism. It provides access to World Heritage sites such as Quebrada de Humahuaca and to festivals including Carnaval de Humahuaca and regional fairs in Cafayate and San Rafael. Cultural ties connect indigenous communities like the Quechua people and Diaguita with colonial-era sites such as Tilcara ruins and historical routes used during campaigns of José de San Martín. The corridor supports ecotourism to protected areas including Los Cardones National Park, Talampaya, and Los Glaciares via feeder roads.
Maintenance responsibility is shared between the Dirección Nacional de Vialidad and provincial road agencies such as those of Jujuy, Salta, Mendoza, and Chubut. Conditions vary from fully paved multi-lane segments near Mendoza City to gravel and dirt in high-altitude sectors like Abra del Acay where weather-driven erosion, snowpack, and seasonal floods impair transit. Winter closures affect passes connecting with Chile and require coordination with agencies like SMN and emergency services including Gendarmería Nacional Argentina. Recent programs financed by multilateral institutions including the Inter-American Development Bank and national infrastructure funds have targeted paving, drainage, and signage improvements.
The route links mining districts in Salta and Catamarca with export corridors to the Pacific and Atlantic, facilitating trade in minerals such as lithium and copper and agricultural products from Mendoza vineyards and Neuquén fruit valleys. It supports freight movements connecting with ports like Puerto Madryn and Bahía Blanca via feeder highways and integrates with rail corridors including those of Belgrano Cargas y Logística. The corridor underpins regional economies through tourism revenue in Patagonia and Cuyo, improves access to health and education centers in provincial capitals, and factors into bilateral logistics with Chile at crossings like Paso de Jama and Paso de San Francisco.
Category:Roads in Argentina