Opened in 1980, the tunnel of the redeeming Christ is 3,080 m (10,105 ft) long, and serves as an important land crossing between Chile and Argentina. At the middle of the tunnel is the national border, which is the termini of Chile Route 60 and Argentina Route 7. The path can be closed during winter because of heavy snows blocking both ends and the threat of rockfall. Its name comes from the 4 ton Christ the Redeemer of the Andes "Cristo Redentor de los Andes" statue placed in 1904 near the Uspallata pass at an elevation of 3,832 m (12,572 ft). The pass was the highest point of the road before the opening of the tunnel lowered the maximum elevation by 600 m (1,969 ft), eliminated 65 switchbacks and shortened the route by 10 km (6 mi). On 19 September 2013, nearly 15,000 Chileans got stranded on the Argentine side, when the pass had to be closed for 10 hours because of freezing temperatures and between 40-50 centimeters of snow.