Digital twins deliver smarter, safer roads in Chile

As a country seeking to expand its infrastructure and strengthen national connectivity, Chile recognizes that upgrading roads reduces travel times, lowers vehicle operating costs, and enhances road safety. It also helps lessen environmental impact and decrease CO₂ emissions.

Moreover, an updated road network facilitates commerce and tourism, contributing to Chile’s economic growth and quality of life for its citizens.

However, the country’s unique geography—characterized by the towering Andes Mountains and vast stretches of remote terrain—presents significant challenges for road development.

One company tackling those challenges is ISA Vías in Chile (part of Grupo ISA and its companies). It operates in Chile's privatized road concession industry, managing critical infrastructure and operating its highways to connect millions of people across the country. Its mission is to ensure that highways contribute sustainably to Chile’s social, economic and environmental development.

As a pioneer in sustainability and digitalization, ISA Vías in Chile continuously seeks ways to optimize operations through technology and innovation. Its main challenge, however, is meeting national infrastructure needs while maintaining operational efficiency and business continuity. 

Technology has become an essential ally in optimizing road infrastructure management. For ISA Vías in Chile, innovations such as digital twins are redefining how roads are operated and maintained.

Digital twins aid road safety management, traffic optimization, and operational and maintenance costs. Moreover, this technology contributes to sustainability by improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

ISA Vías in Chile partnered with DXC Technology to develop a digital twin of the Access South tunnel using DXC’s expertise in engineering, digital transformation and scalable technology solutions.

This digital twin—created by combining accurate ground data from specialist drones, and high-precision 3D modeling incorporating advanced simulation tools—allowed ISA Vías in Chile to simulate a wide range of emergency scenarios, such as vehicle rollovers, fires and evacuations without putting personnel or users at risk.

This has transformed ISA Vías in Chile's approach by providing a platform for continuous process improvement, ultimately leading to greater user safety. DXC’s strong project management, adaptability to ISA Vías in Chile's specific needs and collaborative approach were decisive factors in the project’s success. 

Digital twin technology has become an innovative tool for strengthening ISA Vías in Chile’s operational continuity. It allows the organization to test complex scenarios, evaluate responses and refine processes in a secure environment, reducing errors, limiting risk and fostering continuous improvement.

Key benefits include:

• Enhanced safety: Reduced personnel risk and improved emergency response
• Operational efficiency: Faster planning and execution times
• Innovation: A controlled environment for scenario testing and strategic improvements

The implementation of the Access South tunnel digital twin is just the beginning. ISA Vías in Chile plans to expand this technology to other highways and concessioned tunnels, and continue using digital innovation to optimize operations. This includes:

• Completing the full digitalization of the Access South tunnel for more comprehensive simulations
• Expanding digitalization to bridges, highways and tolls within its concession
• Migrating the digital twin to the cloud for greater scalability and accessibility
• Integrating AI to enable real-time traffic simulations and advanced analytics
• Implementing predictive maintenance systems to proactively manage infrastructure and reduce costs

ISA Vías in Chile is setting the standard for modern road infrastructure management in the country and beyond, ensuring safer and more efficient roads for the future.