On the occasion of the 2024 Fiestas Patrias, the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has implemented a road contingency plan to manage the increase in traffic on the roads, considering that more than one million vehicles are expected to leave Santiago. This plan includes measures such as the “toll to luca“, restrictions on the movement of trucks and recommendations to avoid peak traffic times. These initiatives seek to improve the experience of drivers and avoid traffic jams on key days.
The MOP has identified the schedules The most critical times to leave the capital are: On Friday, September 13, a high traffic flow is expected between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, September 14, congestion will be concentrated between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., while on Tuesday, September 17, it will be especially complicated from 4:00 p.m. on routes such as 68, 78, 5 Norte and 5 Sur. These periods are the ones that should be avoided to reduce travel time.
One of the most attractive measures of the plan is the “toll to luca“, which will be in effect on key routes for several days. On Friday, September 13, between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and on Saturday, September 14, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., drivers will be able to take advantage of this reduced rate on routes 68, 5 Norte, and 5 Sur. Additionally, on Tuesday, September 17 and Wednesday, September 18, the luca toll will be available again between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., facilitating traffic on the same routes. For those returning on Sunday, September 22, the reduced rate will also be active during those same hours.
To improve traffic flow, restrictions will be applied to the circulation of trucks on the main routes of the country. On Tuesday, September 17, trucks will not be able to circulate between 12:00 and 19:00 hours, a measure that will also be repeated on Wednesday 18 at a similar time, and on Sunday, September 22, on routes 68, 5 Norte and 5 Sur. As an incentive, trucks that circulate between 0:00 and 7:00 hours during the days 17, 18 and 22 of September will receive a 50% discount on the price of the vehicle. toll.
The return to Santiago will also be a critical operation, especially on Saturday, September 21, when the traffic The traffic will be busiest from 12:00 to midnight. On Sunday 22, drivers may find the routes most congested between 11:00 and 20:00, with around 450 thousand vehicles estimated to return. The MOP recommends that drivers plan their return outside of these hours to avoid traffic jams.
