The bridge that carries BR-262 over the Rio Paraguai at Corumbá – a strategic artery linking central Brazil to the Bolivian border and the Pantanal wetlands – will operate on a single lane from 12 June 2026 as a R$11.7 million structural-repair project gets under way. State infrastructure agency Agesul and federal road authority DNIT have installed a 24-hour ‘stop-and-go’ traffic light system, JD1 Notícias reported on Thursday evening. Although no full closures are planned in the first stage, authorities admit that each alternating-flow cycle could add 20-30 minutes to crossing times for trucks hauling soy, beef and mining supplies to the Porto Esperança river port. The bridge is also the main overland gateway for Argentine and Chilean tourists heading to the Pantanal via the Bioceanic Corridor. Intermittent total shut-downs of up to four hours are scheduled every three weeks, mostly overnight, but logistics firms fear knock-on effects on cold-chain cargo. The 38-year-old structure underwent emergency stabilisation last year after engineers detected corrosion in load-bearing joints caused by seasonal flooding. The current works will replace expansion devices, reinforce beams and install new LED lighting and guard rails. Completion is slated for February 2027, with the half-bridge regime expected to last at least four months. Transport planners advise rerouting time-sensitive goods via BR-267 and the São Francisco bridge, a 180-km detour, or rescheduling departures to daylight windows when wildlife-reserve speed limits are relaxed. Tour operators have begun adjusting pickup times for Pantanal safaris and warning visitors to allow extra buffer before connecting flights from Corumbá Airport.
Source: JD1 Notícias
