
On Sunday morning, August 20, a bridge collapse in the Los Grillos sector of Boyacá, Colombia, tore a physical link between the country’s central region and the Llano region in the east. This devastating event is yet another natural disaster to hit an area already struggling with severe disruption due to recurring earthquakes.
The Los Grillos bridge, located at kilometer 80 of the transversal del Cusiana road, was a popular route for travelers, freight and light vehicles between the departments of Boyacá, Casanare and Meta, providing an alternative to the main Bogotá – Villavicencio road, which was closed off due to landslides caused by the earthquakes. The collapse of the bridge has left the municipality of Pajarito incommunicado, completely cutting it off from the rest of the country.
The area had already been brought to the attention of the national infrastructure agency Invias, who had reported the start of construction work for the sector in 2022 in order to reduce the hydraulic load. However, despite their efforts, Los Grillos bridge eventually collapsed, leading to renewed calls for better maintenance of roads and bridges around the country.

Until it is repaired, motorists will have to find alternative routes through the Tunja – El Sisga – Guateque – Monterrey – Aguazul – Yopal road (for vehicles with a maximum of 3 axles or 30 tons) and the Sogamoso – Belén – Socha – Sácama – La Cabuya road (for vehicles with a maximum weight of 25 tons).
The Ministry of Transportation has been quick to respond, setting up a plan of maintenance and attention in the sector. Governor Salomón Sanabria of Casanare has spoken out regarding the importance of addressing the issue as a matter of urgency in order to reduce the burden on commuters, particularly in terms of expensive ticket prices and difficult road conditions.