Abstract

This article closely studies the construction process of the first scenic route in Chile, the coastal route between Villa del Mar and Concon. Born as an initiative from the first associated motorists in the province of Valparaiso, its construction required the participation of State technicians in the region and was the first project that resulted from the increasing Pan-American technical dialogue established in the 1920s regarding roadways. Being paved with reinforced concrete at the end of that decade raised its status as being one of the most advanced road projects on the continent and positioned the civil engineers responsible for its construction as true examples of the professional quality of work developed in Chile. The article also reflects on the esthetic value that a civil engineering project can achieve as a tourist landscape.