Río Negro Bariloche infrastructure development

In early July, the Río Negro provincial government earmarked money for a new bridge in Bariloche and drainage works in General Pico, signalling a push to improve local infrastructure. By the end of the month, the province, together with the Bariloche municipality and utility Camuzzi, signed a framework agreement to extend natural‑gas service to six city neighborhoods, aiming to switch roughly 1,000 households from wood heating to gas. The gas rollout, supported by financing from neighboring provinces, follows earlier infrastructure spending and reflects a broader effort by Río Negro authorities to upgrade both physical and utility services in Bariloche.

On 31 July, Governor Alberto Weretilneck and Mayor Walter Cortés formalised an expansion that will connect almost a thousand additional homes in the neighborhoods of Abril, El Maitén, Mirador del Challhuaco, Quimey Ruca III and two Viviendas complexes. Valued at about US$40 million, the project is financed by the provincial banks of Neuquén and Chubut, with those governors joining the signing via video. Since January, Bariloche has enabled 2,072 gas connections, with 270 pending and 1,500 new requests awaiting service, underscoring a joint Patagonian effort to complete works left unfinished by the national government.