The government of Río Negro reported that "the ruling establishes that National Roads must execute immediately, charged to the 2024 budget, a set of essential works to guarantee road safety". It is indicated that "within the first 90 days, National Roads must present a complete survey of all critical points on the stretch, accompanied by a detailed schedule for the execution of each ordered repair". Buenos Aires, November 15 (NA) - Federal Justice has just issued a ruling that obligates National Roads to carry out repairs "immediately" on the section of National Route 40 that connects Bariloche with El Bolsón, in the province of Río Negro. This judicial resolution, to which the Argentine News Agency had access, arises from a presentation made by the Río Negro governor, Alberto Weretilneck, and occurs in a context where the new Minister of the Interior, Diego Santilli, seeks to strengthen ties between the Casa Rosada and the provincial administrations.
The judicial action originated in March 2022, when the Río Negro Prosecutor's Office during the Alberto Fernández government filed the lawsuit before the Federal Court of Bariloche.
Strict deadlines for repairs and maintenance The judicial ruling is not limited to structural repairs but also requires National Roads to replace horizontal signage and install vertical signs, both day and night, in critical areas such as curves, speed bumps, and areas at risk of landslides. Among the interventions classified as most urgent, they include "the repair of potholes, cracks, dangerous rutting and deformations; the correction of shoulder drop-offs".
Additionally, the province specified that National Roads "must also inform if it is necessary to set up cargo control posts, and if so, what measures it will implement and in what timeframes". Additionally, the Judicial Branch grants 120 days to present a "comprehensive maintenance plan to apply once the urgent repairs are finished", with the objective of including future prevention and conservation actions for the route. This judicial order is issued at a particular moment for the National Roads Directorate, an agency that President Javier Milei attempted to dissolve by decree in July, two days before the powers delegated by Congress in the Bases Law expired.
During this same 90-day period, National Roads must draw up a technical report to determine the risk of stone dragging and, if it exists, propose and schedule the corrective measures. The Weretilneck management emphasizes, backed by the ruling, that "all these interventions must be carried out without rescheduling or administrative delays".
