Ramón Martínez, head of the San Juan Branch of the Argentine Chamber of Construction (CAMARCO), highlighted Vicuña Argentina’s US$250 million contribution for infrastructure projects. He emphasized that upgrading the northern section of National Route 40 will be critical to preventing a potential “bottleneck.”
Martínez said local construction companies are prepared, although he pointed to the need to form partnerships to undertake large-scale projects. He also warned that the main challenge will be labor shortages.
By Panorama Minero
Ramón Martínez, head of the San Juan Branch of the Argentine Chamber of Construction, analyzed the impact of the agreement reached between the Government of San Juan and Vicuña Argentina, which provides for a one-time contribution of US$250 million for infrastructure projects.
Road Infrastructure: Essential to Avoid a “Bottleneck”
For Martínez, the agreement is welcome news for the entire sector, as the funds will be primarily allocated to road infrastructure, with particular emphasis on the Northern Corridor and the northern section of National Route 40, an upgrade he described as “absolutely necessary” to support San Juan’s projected growth. The business association leader emphasized the need for other mining operators to follow this path and make similar contributions to strengthen access infrastructure and ensure the safety of workers who will be employed by the industry.
The urgency of moving forward with these projects stems from a clear assessment: current road conditions represent a potential bottleneck that could negatively affect other activities in the province, including tourism. Martínez warned that unless the northern section of National Route 40 is upgraded in the short term, travel times to tourist destinations such as Calingasta, Iglesia and Jáchal—currently around two hours—could potentially double due to the accumulation of freight trucks and the difficulty of overtaking along a 170-kilometre stretch. According to Martínez, overtaking would become extremely difficult, creating additional risks for road users.
Local Capacity and Business Partnerships
Regarding the role of local construction companies, Martínez said that Chamber members are fully prepared to meet the challenges associated with road infrastructure, utilities, housing and sanitation, drawing on years of experience and their contribution to San Juan’s development. In this regard, he expressed his hope that the vast majority of these contracts will be awarded to 100% San Juan-based companies.
However, given the scale of the projects and the arrival of major competitors from outside the province, the Chamber’s head advocated a pragmatic approach based on synergies and business partnerships. Martínez noted that there have already been cases of outside companies arriving in the province without being adequately prepared for the realities of the local mining environment.
Rather than viewing competition as a threat, he suggested forming Temporary Business Associations (Uniones Transitorias de Empresas, UTEs) or other partnerships with both national and international companies. Martínez stressed that local companies are highly capable, although not all of them have the production capacity required to undertake projects of this scale on their own.
The Major Challenge: Workforce Availability
Martínez focused on a critical issue facing construction companies over the medium term: the shortage of skilled workers. He expects that the challenge will no longer be a lack of companies or employment opportunities, but rather the availability of workers, in a scenario that could lead to full employment.
Given the difficulty of competing directly with mining industry wages, local construction companies will seek to retain their workforce by offering greater job stability. Martínez noted that a significant segment of workers—whether because of their age or because they prefer to remain close to their families rather than adapt to the demands of mining camp rotations—choose to remain in conventional civil construction.
