Starting construction of the road to the summit of Co. Chajnantor

We need investigate the weather and seeing condition at the site before the construction of the telescope at the summit of Co. Chajnantor. However, our present activity of the site survey is restricted in the foot of the mountain because of no access to the summit. We have decided to construct a new road to access to the summit and have completed the road design and route below. Recently, the government of Chile has allowed our plan. Moreover, we are negotiating with the local people. After the meetings with people of ALMA project and other telescope in atacama, we will start the construction of the road.

In the following, we explain some milestones of this project.

Planning route of the road

2005, August 25; Road Construction Plan Allowed

CONICYT(Comission Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Teccnologica) allowed our road construction plan through the University of Chile.

2005, November 3; Meeting with Atacama Astronomical Projects (Motohara & Miyata)

We had a meeting to explain the road construction plan to Atacama astronomical projects(ALMA, APEX, CBI, ASTE, NANTEN2) in San Pedro de Atacama.

Preparing of the meeting room	People in the reception after the meeting

2005, November 19; Ceremony of the purifying the construction site (Tanaka & Kobayashi)

We had a ceremony with people of San Pedro de Atacama in a traditional way near the starting point of the road (altitude of 5100 m; halfway up Co. Chajnantor)

The place of the ceremony; the rock where we have just performed the ceremony is seen this side	An informal gathering with the local people after the ceremony