Binational Relations Programs

Western Hemisphere

Chile

FHWA has a history of working with Chile's Dirección de Vialidad (DV) in the Ministry of Public Works since 2010. FHWA and DV work closely to exchange information and lessons learned regarding the impacts of seismic hazards on transportation infrastructure. Collaboration efforts have included virtual workshops, presentations, and in-person bridge site visits.

The collaboration between FHWA and DV provides significant benefit to both countries. Chile's design and construction practice is very similar to the one practiced in the United States, as Chile uses AASHTO and FHWA references as the basis for their design of bridges. Due to Chile's frequent and high-magnitude earthquakes, the country serves as a natural laboratory for evaluating infrastructure performance. Learning about post-event response and recovery from seismic events allows the United States to learn what works and make improvements to design guidelines and other protocols.

The partnership with Chile was further strengthened on March 8, 2023, when the FHWA and DV formalized their commitment through a collaborative arrangement document. This non-binding agreement highlights both agencies' mutual interest in collaborating on a number of topics related to road infrastructure assessment management.