Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje May Get Controlled Traffic In 3 To 4 Weeks

If you use the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road to reach El Oro, plan on a longer disruption. Officials are now talking about three to four weeks before a controlled passage can reopen, while the full fix is still in the pre-contracting stage.

What officials are saying

The road remains closed after extraordinary rain triggered more earth movement between kilometers 63 and 105. Paolo Carpio, acting minister of Infrastructure and Technology, said the area normally sees about 70 millimeters of rain, but between June 8 and 9 it received 1,107 millimeters.

Authorities estimate more than 200,000 cubic meters of material moved, with more than 80,000 cubic meters still on the road.

The immediate goal is to clear enough material for monitored, restricted traffic. The larger rehabilitation is different: officials say the contract award is expected in the last quarter of 2026, and the work could take 18 to 24 months.

Why this matters if you live in Cuenca

This is not just a scenic-route problem. The closure interrupts travel between Azuay and El Oro, affects freight, and hits businesses along the corridor. One service-station administrator at kilometer 76 told El Mercurio that sales have fallen about 80% since the slides began.

For now, assume extra travel time if you are heading toward the coast, checking on property, moving goods, or planning visitors through that route. The official priority is a controlled reopening first, not a normal traffic flow.

The longer repair

Officials described the full solution as work on the existing route, including slope stabilization, recovery of the road structure, and treatment of critical points. Emergency work is estimated near $2.5 million, with another $55 million identified for the full rehabilitation.

There is also separate work at kilometer 50, where stabilization includes cleaning, slope work, gabion walls, subdrains, and geotextile membrane. That job is listed at $1.2 million and is expected to finish in September 2026.

Source: El Mercurio