National Route 23 Perito Moreno, known by locals as the “Southern Line” route, connects the maritime coast of the province of Río Negro with the Andes mountain range for 609 km.
Starts 35 km. south of the town of San Antonio Oeste, where it connects with National Route 3, and ends in San Carlos de Bariloche. On its route it borders the tracks of the General Roca Railway that connects Viedma with Bariloche, weaving together towns and places of the immense Somuncurá Plateau.
Until the beginning of the ’90s, the road was completely gravel and very complicated to drive. Currently, after many delays, it is almost completely paved. The South Line of Río Negro, as the central area of the province is called, has always been a neglected region, especially due to its low population density.
This is the only road that connects a large number of towns and places: Aguada Cecilio, Valcheta, Nahuel Niyeu, Ramos Mexia, Sierra Colorada, Los Menucos, Aguada de Guerra, Maquinchao, Ingeniero Jacobacci, Clemente Onelli, Comallo, Pilcaniyeu Viejo, Pilcaniyeu , Dina Huapi, among others.
It is, therefore, a very important infrastructure project for the Bioceanic Corridor.
The union of the Atlantic coast (tourism, fishing and port), the Plateau or Southern Line (with extensive sheep farming and fertile minor valleys, with agro-ecological potential) and the Andes range (international tourism, forestry and fundamentally connection with Chile through of the Antonio Samoré pass), opens a horizon of enormous economic potential.
For those who want to travel this awesome route and visit each town, here are the distances and number of inhabitants of each one, starting from National Route 3:
National Route 3 – Aguada Cecilio (155 inhabitants): 43 km.
Aguada Cecilio – Valcheta (3867 inhabitants): 34 km.
Valcheta – Nahuel Niyeu (32 inhabitants): 41 km.
Nahuel Niyeu – Ministro Ramos Mexía (973 inhabitants): 62 km.
Ministro Ramos Mexía – Sierra Colorada (1542 inhabitants): 43 km.
Sierra Colorada-Los Menucos (5,187 inhabitants): 46 km.
Los Menucos- Aguada de Guerra (126 inhabitants): 35 km.
Aguada de Guerra- Maquinchao (2949 inhabitants): 35 km.
Maquinchao- Ingeniero Jacobacci (6,261 inhabitants): 73 km.
Ingeniero Jacobacci – Clemente Onelli (114 inhabitants): 51 km.
Clemente Onelli- Comallo (1497 inhabitants): 41 km.
Comallo – Pilcaniyeu (823 inhabitants): 52 km.
Pilcaniyeu- Dina Huapi (3730 inhabitants): 53 km.
At this point, RN 23 joins RN 237, which is approximately 15 km away, you arrive in Bariloche.