National Route 7 (Argentina)

The National Route 7 «Carretera Libertador General San Martín» (Decree No. 115.261/1942) is an Argentine highway, which unites the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, San Luis and Mendoza. It is part of the most important bi-oceanic corridor in the country and is a branch of the Pan-American Highway. It has a total length of 1224 kilometers.

The route crosses Argentine territory from east to west, from the City of Buenos Aires to the mountain range, which means that it is a highway with high traffic of cars and trucks. In fact, the route is Argentina's main international connection, and is also used to transport significant quantities of cargo by land to or from Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Its route begins in the east of the country at the level of General Paz Avenue (it constitutes the limit between the City of Buenos Aires and the province of the same name) and ends in the province of Mendoza at the level of the Argentine portal of the Cristo Tunnel Redeemer of the border, after traveling 1,224 km. The section in the province of Mendoza that will finally join the highway already completed in the province of San Luis is under construction.

History

The origin of this route dates back to the Camino Real del Oeste, which was used since colonial times to travel from Buenos Aires, passing through San Luis and Mendoza and arriving at Santiago of Chile. After the appearance of the railroad, at the end of the 19th century, this road lost importance.

New towns appeared around the train stations that were only served by the railroad.

With automotive development, the National Congress created the National Highway Directorate in 1932. In 1935 this state body began to build a new route parallel to the Buenos Aires to Pacific Railway, later converted into the General San Martín Railway. This route had number 7.

In June 1942 the paving work between the cities of Chacabuco and Junín was completed. Between 1968 and 1969 the paved road between Junín and Laboulaye was built using a different layout (a little further south) to separate the route of the railway and the towns, thus increasing the speed of circulation. On October 2, 1969, the 67 km section between Rufino and Laboulaye was inaugurated and on October 28 of the same year, the 165 km section between Junín and Rufino was inaugurated. In 1975 the pavement reached Villa Mercedes, at the junction with National Route 8, which was the road used to access the west of the country from the capital of the republic since it had been paved since 1940.

To access from Mendoza to Uspallata, this route passed through the "Caracoles de Villavicencio", which is a mountain route with heights of around 3000 ms. n. m., and 365 curves. Due to the dangerousness of the route, in the 1950s it was decided to make a new route through the Mendoza River basin, that is, further south. This section was prepared in a precarious manner in 1961. The National Road Directorate completed this road in 1971. In this way the pavement reached Uspallata.

The next step was to convert the route into a highway in the section that connects the cities of San Martín and Mendoza, almost distant, which was executed in two sections of 25 km (Mendoza - Las Margaritas) and 17 km (Las Margaritas - San Martín) respectively, and that the first was completed in 1977 and the second during 1979 since it required the construction of a new bridge that would allow the crossing over the Mendoza River. ^{[citation required]}In addition, a modification of the original layout of the route was designed and built, starting in the vicinity of the Mendoza city of La Paz, deviating approximately 1.5 km towards the north so that it would pass through the outskirts of the towns that the old route touched, in accordance with the criteria of the time. The 140 km section of the original route was transferred to the jurisdiction of the province of Mendoza, and took the name Provincial Route 50.

National Decree 1595 of 1979 transferred the jurisdiction of the old Las Heras - Villavicencio - Uspallata section (97.2 km) to the Province of Mendoza, so it currently forms Provincial Route 52. They were also transferred 53 km of Provincial Route 82, from Luján de Cuyo to Potrerillos, to the national orbit with which Route 7 connects Mendoza with Uspallata through Potrerillos.

The road to the west of Uspallata with the bridges that are in use today could be completed between 1978 and 1979.

Another old section of Route 7 was the access to the border with Chile, a zigzagging path from Las Cuevas to La Cumbre Pass, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located. In 1977, the Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza Railway tunnel, inaugurated on April 5, 1910, was transformed into a mixed tunnel, with capacity for vehicular and train circulation. With the construction of the Christ the Redeemer Tunnel, enabled on May 23, 1980, parallel to the aforementioned tunnel, the road that leads to the Summit Pass serves only as a tourist path and is enabled only in summer. The current name is National Route A006.

Access from the city of Buenos Aires to Luján was formerly via the avenue that runs parallel to the Sarmiento Railway tracks (road known as Rivadavia Avenue to the Morón district). With the construction of the Western Access one kilometer further north, the Nation prescribed the transfer of this 52.55 km stretch to the Province of Buenos Aires through the national decree mentioned in the previous paragraph. The Province of Buenos Aires took charge of it in 1988, changing its name to Provincial Route 7.

The highway that connects Avenida General Paz with Luján, the Western Access, was built in several stages for more than 20 years, until finally on September 1, 1998, the last section of the highway that connects Avenida General was inaugurated. Peace with Morón. To make this work a reality, several kilometers of land with houses built had to be expropriated, since this road passes through urban areas of Greater Buenos Aires.

In May 2001, construction of the 212 km highway began in the province of San Luis with provincial funds. The work was inaugurated on April 16, 2003 and has the particularity of having lighting throughout its entire length. The layout of the route in the vicinity of the provincial capital was changed so that the highway passes further south, that is, further from the city center. By law number VIII-0258-2004 of the Province of San Luis, this section is called Autopista de las Serranías Puntanas. The old 11.6 km route was transferred to provincial jurisdiction. The government of San Luis converted it into a highway that was inaugurated on July 27, 2007 with the name Avenida Parque Gobernador José Santos Ortiz.

Due to the construction of the Potrerillos reservoir southwest of the city of Mendoza, 10 km of road in a higher area and two road bridges had to be built. This work was inaugurated on August 23, 2004. This section of the route generated controversy during the planning period since it passes through an important paleontological site.

Court in the province of Santa Fe: 1998

Due to the flooding of the La Picasa lagoon between 1998 and 1999, 14.5 km of the route between the towns of Aarón Castellanos and Diego de Alvear, on the border between the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe, were flooded. The road closure occurred on April 19, 1999.

Due to this inconvenience, the vehicles had to use a 32 km gravel detour, adding 17 more kilometers to the original route along Route 7. Then the water level of the La Picasa lagoon began to be lowered, through a pumping station in Rufino. This station would be complemented by another, not yet built, to the south of the lagoon.

On February 1, 2006, work began to reconstruct the affected section of Route 7 using stones brought from a quarry in the province of San Luis. These stones are covered with a mesh. In July 2006, it was possible to join both ends of the lagoon with basalt stone, allowing trucks to circulate to continue the work of altering the route, which had to continue until the route was two meters above the maximum height of the water. Under normal conditions it would be six meters above the water level. The work includes a 60 m bridge in three sections of 20 m each with one lane in each direction of travel and a return in the center of the lagoon.

The 10.5 km section was opened to vehicular traffic on June 10, 2007.

This construction was awarded as the Road Engineering Work of the year 2007, by the Argentine Highway Association, which brings together all the provinces, companies in the sector and the National Government.

Court in Province of Santa Fe: 2017-2019

From February 8, 2017 to December 3, 2019, National Route 7 was closed in a section that includes 54 kilometers. The traffic restrictions are due to a new overflow of the La Picasa lagoon between kilometers 385 and 386.

The detours in the area that cover the South of Santa Fe were made at the intersection of national routes 7 and provincial routes 33. While in the territory of the province of Buenos Aires they were found on national routes 7 and provincial routes 14.

As a result of a drought, the level of the lagoon dropped significantly towards the end of March 2018. Only a year later, in January 2019, work began to clean up the debris and garbage that was on the disabled road. Finally, after two years, the authorities began to repair the route.

Cities

The cities with more than 5,000 inhabitants (based on INDEC 2001 census data) through which this route passes from east to west are:

Province of Buenos Aires

The route runs 364 km in the north of this province numbered from km 12 to 376. The districts through which the route runs are:

• Three of February (km 12-15): Citadel (km 13). 4-lane autopist by hand.
• Morón (km 15-20): El Palomar (km 17) and Haedo (km 19).
• Limit between Morón and Hurlingham (km 20-24): Villa Tesei (km 21) and Castelar (km 24). 4-lane autopist by hand.
• Ituzaingó (km 24-30): Ituzaingó (km 26) and Villa Udaondo (km 29). Autopista de 3 lanes per hand (now works are made to build a fourth lane).
• Moreno Party (km 30-44): Paso del Rey (km 32), Moreno (km 37), La Reja (km 39) and Francisco Álvarez (km 42). 3 lanes per hand.
• General Rodríguez Party (km 44-56): General Rodríguez (km 52).
• Lujan Party (km 56-90): Lujan (km 62-67). 2-lane highway by hand
• San Andrés de Giles (km 90-130): San Andrés de Giles (km 103). 2-lane highway by hand
• Carmen de Areco (km 130-166): Carmen de Areco (km 138). Until Carmen de Areco, 2 lane highway by hand.
• Chacabuco Party (km 166-237): Chacabuco (km 203). From km 219, motorway of 2 lanes per hand.
• Junin Party (km 237-291): Junin (km 260). Up to Junín, 2-lane highway by hand.
• Leandro N. Alem (km 291-347): Vedia (km 315).
• General Pinto Party (km 347-383): no town of more than 5000 hectares.

Province of Santa Fe

The route runs 56 km in the southwestern corner of this province numbered km 383 to 432.

• Department General López (km 383-432): Rufino (km 426).

Province of Córdoba

The route runs 222 km in the south of this province numbered from km 432 to 654.

• Department President Roque Sáenz Peña (km 432-551): Laboulaye (km 490) and General Levalle (km 540).
• Department Río Cuarto (km 551-654): Vicuña Mackenna (km 586).

Province of San Luis

The route runs 211 km in the center of this province numbered from km 654 to 865.

• Department General Pedernera (km 654-730): Just Daract (km 661) and Villa Mercedes (km 696).
• Department Colonel Pringles (km 730-759): no town of more than 5000 hectares.
• Department Juan Martín de Pueyrredón (km 759-865): San Luis (km 788).

Province of Mendoza

The route runs 372 km in the north of this province numbered from km 865 to 1237.

• Department La Paz (km 865-926): La Paz (km 905). A lane by hand in the province of Mendoza
• Department Santa Rosa (km 926-981): No locality of more than 5000 hectares, but it passes through the Santa Rosa (km 966).
• Department San Martín (km 981-1011): San Martín (km 999-1004) and Palmira (km 1007-1012).
• Department Maipú (km 1011-1027): Rodeo del Medio (km 1022).
• Department Guaymallén (km 1027-1040): Rodeo de la Cruz and Villa Nueva.
• Department Lujan de Cuyo (km 1054-1139): Perdriel (km 1054).
• Department Las Heras (km 1139-1237): Uspallata (km 1141). Touristic properties: Los Penitentes (km 1212), Puente del Inca (km 1219) and Las Cuevas (km 1232).

In the section that overlaps with National Route 40, the route passes through Dorrego in the Guaymallén department and through Luján de Cuyo in the department of the same name.

Tour

The route of this road is shown schematically below:

		Autopista Perito Moreno
		City of Buenos Aires
	km 12.5	Avenida General Paz al Río de la Plata / Riachuelo
		Province of Buenos Aires
	km 19,0	Calle Dolores Prats a El Palomar / Haedo
	km 19.8	Bridge under the path of the FCGSM branch Caseros - Haedo
	km 20,0	Calle Presidente Derqui a El Palomar / Morón
	km 21,6	RP 4 to Hurlingham / Morón
	km 23.8	Calle Santa Rosa a Castelar e Ituzaingó
	km 25.9	Ituzaingo toll station
	km 30.1	Camino del Buen Ayre al Acceso Norte/Merlo
	km 30.4	Reconquista River
	km 36.1	RP 23 to San Miguel / Moreno
	km 36.7	RP 25 to Pilar / Moreno
	km 37.3	Arroyo Los Perros
	km 38.6	Calle Belisario Roldán a La Reja
	km 43.6	Arroyo Las Catonas
	km 47.7	RP 24 to José C. Paz / Las Malvinas
	km 51.7	RP 28 a Pilar / General Rodríguez
	km 57.4	Lujan toll station
	km 60.2	RP 6 to Campana / Cañuelas
	km 62.6	RN 5 to Mercedes and Santa Rosa
	km 66.1	RP 34 to Pilar (land road) / Lujan
	km 67.6	Access to the Basilica of Lujan
	km 68.2	Luján River
	km 69.0	RP 192 a ~Parada Robles / Chapel of the Lord
	km 72.7	Bridge over FCGBM (classified) to San Antonio de Areco / Luján
	km 74.0	RP 7 to Luján and Buenos Aires
	km 76.4	Crossing at level with tracks of the FCGSM branchl Pilar / Cabred
	km 87.6	Toll station Villa Espil
	km 88.3	Arroyo Cañada de la Cruz
	km 103.7	RP 41 to San Antonio de Areco / Wolves
	km 137.1	Arroyo de la Guardia
	km 142.3	RP 51 a Arrecifes / Chivilcoy
	km 143,0	Municipal airfield of Carmen de Areco
	km 144.4	Arroyo Lamela
	km 148.0	RP 31 to Salto and Rojas
	km 154.2	Cross at level with tracks of the FCGB Ramal G (classified)
	km 156.3	Ranchoes rice
	km 172,4	RP 32 to Los Angeles / Rawson
	km 178,9	Crossing at level with Rawson branch paths - FCGSM
	km 199,4	Provincial airfield of Chacabuco
	km 202,2	RP 30 to Chivilcoy
	km 207,6	RP 191 a Salto y Arrecifes
	km 211.9	Crossing at level with pathways of the FCGSM branch Retiro - Junín
	km 236,8	Río Salado
	km 258,4	RP 65-9 July
	km 258,7	Río Salado
	km 258,9	Avenida de Circunvalación a Aeropuerto de Junín / Camino al parque natural Laguna de Gómez (Junín)
	km 259,5	Avenida Benito de Miguel / Camino al Grupo de Artillería 10 (Junín)
	km 260.0	Avenida Ramón Hernández (Junín)
	km 261.0	RP 65 to General Arenales
	km 263.6	RN 188 a Pergamino / General Villegas
	km 272,0	Junin toll station
	km 273.7	Laguna de Gómez
	km 311,1	Vedia airfield
	km 311,3	RP 50 to General Arenales / Lincoln
	km 312,6	Access to Vedia
	km 364,4	Crossing at level with FCGBM tracks (passenger clausurate)
	km 369.0	RP 14 to San Gregorio and María Teresa
		Province of Buenos Aires
	km 376.3
		Province of Santa Fe
	km 386.7	Laguna La Picasa
	km 421,9	Rufino airfield
	km 423.3	RN 33 a Venado Tuerto / General Villegas
	km 429.2	Crossing at level with tracks of the FCGSM (clausurado) Rufino branch - Monte Comán
		Province of Santa Fe
	km 432,5
		Province of Córdoba
	km 460.1	RP 3 to Canals
	km 492,6	RP 4 to La Carlota / Hipólito Bouchard
	km 540.2	RP 10 to General Levalle / Paraje Jovita
	km 573,2	RN 35 to Río Cuarto / Realicó
	km 592.0	Vicuña Mackenna toll station
	km 653.5	FCGSM road bridge (passenger clausurate) Ramal Retiro - Mendoza (San Luis/Beazley)
		Province of Córdoba
	km 653.9
		San Luis Province
	km 657,0	Fair toll station Daract
	km 660.6	RP 14 to RN 8 / Right Daract
	km 684,0	RP 24 to Villa Reynolds Airport
	km 692,7	RN 8 to Río Cuarto / Villa Mercedes
	km 692,8	Bridge over the tracks of the FCGSM branch of Río Cuarto - Villa Mercedes
	km 695.7	RP 55 to Merlo / Villa Mercedes
	km 699.3	Bridge over FCGSM (clausurado) branches Villa Dolores - Villa Mercedes
	km 700.2	RP 2 to La Toma
	km 707,4	Río Quinto
	km 754,6	RP 36 to Decay of the Reels
	km 756,6	RP 31 to La Petra
	km 762.0	Toll Station The Summit
	km 766.0	RP 30 to El Trapiche / Juan Gez
	km 779,8	RP 7 to Daniel Dónovan
	km 780.8	Chorrillos River
	km 783.7	RN 147 to San Juan and link to RP 20 to Merlo
	km 786.9	RP 3 to San Luis / Union
	km 790.9	RN 146 to Luján / San Rafael
	km 815.7	RP 15 to Balde / Beverage Salinas
	km 863,0	Toll station Desaguadero
	km 864.1	Bridge over FCGSM (clausurado) to Ramal Retiro - San Luis - Mendoza
		San Luis Province
	km 865.5	Río Desaguadero
		Province of Mendoza
	km 899.0	La Paz toll station
	km 954,1	RP 153 to Monte Comán and General Alvear
	km 1002,4	RP 43 (Carril Canal Montecaseros) to Tres Porteñas / San Martín
	km 1003.8	RP 63 (Míguez) to Reducing
	km 1007,3	RP 41 (Chimbas) to Chapanay / Palmira
	km 1009,1	RP 63 (Carril San Pedro) to the Dike Tiburcio Benegas
	km 1011.6	Río Mendoza
	km 1027.4	Bridge over FCGSM (clausurado) to Ramal Retiro - San Luis - Mendoza
	km 1027.9	RP 50 to Rodeo de la Cruz / Rodeo del Medio
	km 1030.9	Calle González a Puerta de Hierro / Carril Rodríguez Peña
	km 1040.3	RN 40 to Mendoza and San Juan
		Superposition with the RN 40
	km 1054.3	RN 40 to San Rafael and General Alvear
	km 1069.5	Arroyo Las Avispas
	km 1087.0	Río Cacheuta
	km 1095.4	Access to Potrerillos
	km 1096.7	Rio Blanco
	km 1096.8	RP 89 to Potrerillos / Vallecitos
	km 1107.4	Bridge over the Quebrada of 60
	km 1120.9	Arroyo Alumbre
	km 1122.1	Tunnel No. 2
	km 1122.4	Tunnel No. 3
	km 1125.4	Dry rice
	km 1129.6	Tunnel No. 4
	km 1129.9	Tunnel No. 5
	km 1129.9	Tunnel No. 6
	km 1130.0	Tunnel No. 7
	km 1130.1	Tunnel No. 8
	km 1130.3	Tunnel No. 9
	km 1132.6	Tunnel No. 10
	km 1139.2	Río Mendoza
	km 1148.6	RN 149 to Calingasta and link to RP 52 to Mendoza
	km 1149.1	Arroyo Uspallata
	km 1151	Uspallata Customs Complex for Cargo Vehicles
	km 1157.6	Chacay rice
	km 1157.8	Dry rice
	km 1161,6	Rigo Ranchillos
	km 1163.8	Bridge over the Quebrada del Camino
	km 1170.6	Arroyo Picheuta
	km 1178.2	Tunnel No. 11
	km 1178.3	Arroyo Cutters
	km 1181.0	Arroyo Tambillito
	km 1186.3	Tunnel No. 12
	km 1187.4	Tunnel No. 13
	km 1189.0	Arroyo Polvaredas
	km 1191,5	Arroyo El Taure
	km 1193.7	Black rice
	km 1196.0	Río Mendoza
	km 1200.4	Río Mendoza
	km 1202.0	Rio de las Vacas
	km 1210.8	Arroyo Cruz de Caña
	km 1213.7	Tunnel.
	km 1219.5	Rio Los Horcones
	km 1220	Customs Complex Los Horcones for light and passenger vehicles
	km 1222.0	Access to Aconcagua Provincial Park
	km 1231.3	Rio de las Cuevas
	km 1232.0	Tunnel No. 14
	km 1232.9	Access to the Redeemer Christ of the Andes
	km 1234.9	Station of toll Christ Redeemer
	km 1235.4	Tunnel of the Redeemer Christ
		Province of Mendoza
		Argentina
	km 1236.9
		Chile
		Valparaiso Region
		Route CH-60

Toll booths and services

As this is a high-traffic route, it has a large number of service stations along its entire route. Before 2004, the Junín to Villa Mercedes section did not have service stations with compressed natural gas (CNG), so vehicles that run on this fuel had to circulate on National Route 8. References:

Province of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area

• km 15: Shell Service Station (Citadel)
• km 26: Toll cabin (Ituzaingó)
• km 26: Shell Service Station (Ituzaingó)
• km 56: ACA Service Station (General Rodríguez)
• Interior of the Province of Buenos Aires
• km 57: Toll cabin (Lujan)
• km 62: Service station ACA (Lujan)
• km 65: Shell Service Station (Lujan)
• km 87.5: Toll cabin (Villa Espil)
• km 97: YPF Service Station (San Andrés de Giles)
• km 103: YPF Service Station (San Andrés de Giles)
• km 139: Service station ACA (Carmen de Areco)
• km 140: Shell Service Station (Areco Carmen)
• km 140: Petrobras Service Station (Carmen de Areco)
• km 212: Service station with CNG (Chacabuco)
• km 246: YPF Service Station (La Agraria)
• km 258: Independent service station (June)
• km 258: Esso Service Station (June)
• km 259: YPF Service Station (June)
• km 261: Petrobras Service Station (June)
• km 272: Toll cabin (June)
• km 301: Shell Service Station (Leandro N. Alem)
• km 312: Shell Service Station (Vedia)
• km 316: CNG service station (Vedia)
• km 342: Shell Service Station (John B. Alberdi)
• km 353: YPF Service Station (Iriarte)

Province of Santa Fe

• km 369: YPF Service Station (Diego de Alvear)
• km 425: Shell Service Station (Rufino)

Province of Córdoba

• km 490: Shell Service Station (Laboulaye)
• km 490: YPF (Laboulaye)
• km 541: CNG filling station (General Levalle)
• km 591: Shell Service Station (Vicuña Mackenna)
• km 592: Toll Cabin (Vicuña Mackenna)

Province of San Luis

• km 657: Toll Cabin (Just Daract)
• km 689: YPF Service Station (Villa Mercedes)
• km 696: ACA Service Station (Villa Mercedes)
• km 730: YPF Service Station (Fraga)
• km 761: Toll Cabin (The Summit)
• km 783: YPF Service Station (Bella Vista)
• km 863: Toll cabin (Desaguadero)

Province of Mendoza

• km 899: Toll cabin (La Paz)
• km 901: CNG filling station (La Paz)
• km 936: ACA Service Station (La Paz)
• km 941: YPF Service Station (La Dormida)
• km 955: Service station with CNG (Las Catitas)
• km 1019: YPF Service Station (Fray Luis Beltrán)
• km 1028: YPF (Rodeo de La Cruz)
• km 1146: Shell Service Station (Uspallata)
• km 1146: ACA Service Station (Uspallata)
• km 1235: Toll cabin (Las Cuevas)

Road condition

Route 7 is a highway or highway in the following sections:

• km 12-22: Avenida General Paz a Camino de Cintura (tramo del Acceso Oeste), opened on September 1, 1998.
• km 22 to 38: Road of Cintura to Moreno (tramo del Acceso Oeste), opened in 1984.
• km 38 to 60: From Moreno to the hill with the Provincial Route 6, opened in 1970.
• km 60 to 73: From Provincial Route 6 to Luján (tramo del Acceso Oeste).
• km 73 to 105: From intersection with Provincial Route 7 to access to San Andrés de Giles.
• km 219 to 261: Departure from Chacabuco City - Enter Junin City.Opened in 2006.
• km 654 to 865: The entire province of San Luis, opened on 16 April 2003.
• km 868 to 888: From Desaguadero to the toll station, opened on 16 December 2011.
• km 906 to 954: From La Paz to Las Catitas, open to the public on March 3, 2011.
• km 954 to 965: From Las Catitas to Santa Rosa (on March 4, 2010).
• km 965 to 999: From Santa Rosa to San Martín (tramo inaugurated on October 5, 2007).
• km 999 to 1015: From San Martín to Palmira (tramo del Acceso Este), opened in 1979.
• km 1015 to 1041: From Palmira to Mendoza (tramo del Acceso Este), opened in 1977.
• km 1041 to 1064: From Mendoza to Agrelo (superposition with national route 40).

The highway project for the Luján (km 75) - Junín (km 263) section is completed. The completion of the works on the remaining section between San Andrés de Giles (km 105) and Junín is expected in the coming years.

In several sections between Agrelo and Potrerillos, as well as between Uspallata and Las Cuevas, the uphill stretch has two lanes, which makes it easier for motorists to overtake trucks on mountain roads.

In winter, ice or snow usually accumulates on the road, so it is necessary to drive with tire chains. In this case, the maximum speed must be 40 km/h and the chains must be removed when the vehicle is traveling on asphalt because the chains and the pavement will be ruined and there is a risk of punctures in the tire. Before undertaking the crossing of the mountain range, route users should obtain advice on the condition of the road. There is an AM and FM radio station dependent on the National Gendarmerie that provides information on the state of the roads, plays music and reads the main news of the day.

Between Luján de Cuyo and Las Cuevas there are fourteen tunnels. The maximum speed is 40 km/h, as there are curves after the tunnels.

The table on the right shows the tunnels enabled in 2004. Sheds number 2 and 8, which total 500 meters, began to be built on October 1, 2003, with the work completed on July 31, 2005.

Tunnel No. 1 is located near Cacheuta, on Provincial Route 82 (old route of National Route 7) and is closed. The route runs parallel to the tunnel next to the Mendoza River.

In the high mountain section there are several dangerous curves with their own names. To the east of Uspallata are the Guido Curve and the Chilean Curve, while that to the west of said town are the Curva de la Mirian, the Curva del Tiempo, the Curva del Yeso and the Curva of National Sovereignty. In this last curve, the width of the road is 6.70 m and it has a maximum slope of 6.8%, the highest in the mountain section. In 2022, work on the Palmira Bypass of Route 7 began along with the transformation of the railway tunnel into the Cristo Redentor Pass.

Management

In 1990, the busiest routes in the country were concessioned with toll collection, dividing these into Road Corridors. In 1993, the Access Network to Buenos Aires was awarded a concession.

In this way, in 1990 the Nuevas Rutas company took charge of Road Corridor number 5, which includes Route 7 between km 69 and 490, from Luján (Buenos Aires) to Laboulaye (Córdoba), installing tolls in Villa Espil (km 87) and Junín (km 272).

At the same time, the company Caminos del Oeste took charge of Road Corridor number 3, which includes Route 7 between km 490 and 999, from Laboulaye to San Martín (Mendoza), installing toll booths in Vicuña Mackenna (Córdoba) (km 591), La Cumbre (San Luis) (km 762) and La Paz (Mendoza) (km 900).

In 1993, the Western Access was put out to tender with the contractual obligation to extend the highway between General Paz Avenue and Luján. The company that took over was Grupo Concesionario del Oeste from July 1994. The works were completed on September 2, 1998.

By agreement between the Nation and the Province of San Luis celebrated on October 6, 2000, the provincial state would build a 214 km long highway that crosses its territory and in return the Nation cedes the route to it for 30 years. In this way, the concession of this section was withdrawn from Caminos del Oeste. The work was inaugurated on April 16, 2003.

In 2003 the concession contracts for the Road Corridors expired, so the numbering of the road corridors was modified and a new tender was called. The winning company of Road Corridor number 3 was Autovía Oeste. This corridor extends from km 63 to 654 and from km 865 to 999, which corresponds from Luján to San Martín, excluding the Province of San Luis. In 2010, the temporary union of Autovía Buenos Aires a los Andes companies took over.

The highway between San Martín and Mendoza remains under the modular system.

The 180 km stretch between National Route 40 and the border with the Republic of Chile has been under the recovery and maintenance contract regime (C.Re.Ma.) since January 1, 2007. Previously, the maintenance of the road in this section was by administration, that is, with personnel from the National Roads Directorate.

In 2022, President Alberto Fernández together with Gabriel Katopodis announced the annulment of the Western Access concessions, transferring the entire administration of the route to the Corredores Viales concessionaire (National Highway Directorate)

Transit

Maximum speeds

The maximum speeds for cars and motorcycles are 120 km/h on highway sections and 110 km/h on oncoming and oncoming sections, outside urban areas. In the mountain area the maximum speed is 80 or 60 km/h depending on the section. In tunnels the maximum speed is 40 km/h.

The maximum speed for buses is 90 km/h or the maximum speed for cars, whichever is lower. In the case of trucks it is 80 km/h or the maximum for cars, whichever is lower.

Traffic measurements

In order to set priorities to improve routes or design crossings with other roads, National Roads has divided the national road network into 1,200 sections with uniform traffic, that is, without crossings with a lot of entry or exit of vehicles.

Route 7 is divided into 20 sections in the Province of Buenos Aires, 2 sections in Santa Fe, 5 sections in Córdoba, 13 sections in San Luis and 15 sections in Mendoza.

In each section, the average annual daily traffic is calculated, which results from dividing the number of vehicles that circulate per year by the number of days in said year (365 or 366).

The graph shows the average annual daily traffic for the year 2001. The line is not continuous since no urban crossings are shown. Furthermore, the overlapping section with National Route 40 in the vicinity of the city of Mendoza is not included.

The busiest section corresponds to the easternmost 10 km of the route, in which the average annual daily traffic was 82,500 vehicles per day in 2001. This value decreases as the distance to the city of Buenos Aires increases., registering 6,550 vehicles per day in the same year to the west of the former National Route 192, 60 km from the beginning of the route, which is where the rural area begins. The lowest traffic rate occurs in the vicinity of La Picasa lagoon, given that at the time the measurement was carried out, the route was closed by water, causing a purely local traffic of 1,150 vehicles.

In rural areas of Córdoba, around 3,000 vehicles circulate per day, while in San Luis more than 4,000 vehicles circulate per day because it receives traffic from National Route 8 that connects to Villa Mercedes.

From the city of San Martín, in the province of Mendoza, the end of the rural area, to the outskirts of the city of Mendoza, traffic increases from 5,400 vehicles per day to 63,400 vehicles per day.

Finally, in the section that is located between the overlap of National Route 40 and the international border, the value indicated by the censuses is around 1,500 vehicles per day.

Geography

The graph on the right shows the height of the road within the province of Mendoza.

To the west of the province the route runs through the main and front mountain ranges passing just 18 km south of Mount Aconcagua, the highest elevation in America. You can see this hill from the viewpoint located at km 1222.

East of Uspallata and up to the city of Mendoza, the route is in the foothills.

Before the construction of the Christ the Redeemer Tunnel, in 1980, the route ended at the Summit International Pass, at 3,832 m. n. m., where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located.

Due to the great height of the mountain pass, it is closed for several days during the winter months due to the accumulation of snow on the road. To alleviate this situation, in 2006 National Route 145 began to be paved to the southwest of the province of Mendoza, which connects the neighboring republic through the Pehuenche pass, which is at a lower altitude, so it would not have this problem.

The graph on the left shows the height of the road between the junction with National Route 40 in the vicinity of the city of Mendoza and General Paz Avenue.

In the eastern part of the province of Mendoza the route runs through a plain called "Gran plain de la Travesía", with a slope towards the Desaguadero River, which is the interprovincial boundary with San Luis. In this province are the elevations corresponding to the Sierras Pampeanas. This mountain road does not present traffic problems because in this area Route 7 is a highway.

After passing through areas of frequent flooding in the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe (mainly in the latter), passing near several lagoons in the latter province and the west of the province of Buenos Aires, the route continues along the Pampa Ondulada to the capital of the republic.

Tourism

National Route 7 passes through several towns of tourist interest.

In Luján you can visit the National Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, built between 1887 and 1935, one of the most important in the country, the goal of annual pilgrimages along the old route of this route (now Provincial Route 7) from the neighborhood Buenos Aires from Liniers. The city also has a municipal spa on the river of the same name, the Transportation Museum and the Enrique Udaondo Museum Complex, made up of several museums.

Junín is the main lake tourist center in the province of Buenos Aires. Its greatest attraction is the Laguna de Gómez natural park, ideal for water sports, relaxing and fishing. Within a 10 km radius of the city are the Mar Chiquita, El Carpincho and Gómez lagoons. Junín is also home to numerous cultural, recreational and sporting events, such as the Provincial Pejerrey Festival, the Regional Homemade Fiambre Festival and the Spring Festival.

Rufino, during the second half of October, hosts the National Livestock Festival, in which the best animals in the area are exhibited.

Villa Mercedes has the Santiago Betbeder Museum and Historical Archive, with an exhibition of antique carriages, a grocery store and a chapel.

In the surroundings of the city of San Luis there is a mountain circuit, with the Cruz de Piedra and La Florida reservoirs and a waterfall in Potrero de los Funes.

In the surroundings of the city of Mendoza you can see vineyards, with guided visits to different wineries.

In the city of Mendoza you can visit several museums, the founding area (old city center before the earthquake of 1861) and the General San Martín Park with a lake, zoo, stadium and the University City. From this park you can access the top of Cerro de la Gloria by vehicle, where the equestrian statue of General San Martín is located. From there you can see the entire city.

In the high mountain area there is a ski center in Los Penitentes, a natural bridge over the Las Cuevas river in Puente del Inca (in 2006 you cannot cross the bridge because there is a risk of collapse), the Cementerio del Andinista, the entrance to the Aconcagua Provincial Park, several viewpoints, and a zigzagging path that leads to the international border with Chile where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located.