AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Soaring 102 meters above the Malleco River gorge just south of Collipulli, the Malleco Viaduct is one of Chile's most impressive feats of 19th-century engineering. Completed in 1890, this steel railway bridge was considered the tallest of its kind in the world at the time of its construction, and it remains the highest bridge in Chile today.↗
Standing beside the Panamerican Highway (Ruta 5 Sur), the viaduct is easy to see and photograph from multiple vantage points. A purpose-built viewing platform opened in 2024 gives visitors a safe, well-equipped spot to take in the full scale of this century-old landmark, which is both a National Historic Monument and a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status.↗↗
A Bold Vision Over an Impossible Valley
In the 1880s, Chile's government was determined to push a railway line southward into the Araucanía region, a vast territory whose economic potential depended on reliable transportation. The plan called for a continuous rail connection from the capital all the way down to Traiguén, but the Malleco River valley stood directly in the way. The riverbed lay 110 meters below the surrounding plains, creating an engineering problem that had no easy solution in an era before reinforced concrete or modern construction equipment.
