Visions of Modernity: Imaginaries of National Integration in the History of Route 5 in Chile

Abstract

The history of Route 5 in Chile, like that of other highways, is imbued with modernizing narratives and development goals influenced by European and American paradigms. Exploring three key phases of its history -construction (1920s), paving (1950s), and renovation (1990s)- this article also reveals the darker nuances of progress, highlighting a complex relationship between infrastructure, identity, development, and exclusion.

Keywords

• history
• policies
• transport
• connectivity
• infrastructural turns