That Road to Saymirín? Residents Say It's Falling Apart — and So Is the Bridge

If you've driven out toward Saymirín in the Chiquintad parish, you know the road isn't great. Turns out, it's worse than you think.

Residents of Santa Teresita are demanding a full reconstruction of the 1.5+ kilometer access road to Saymirín, which was inaugurated on May 3, 2008 — and hasn't seen serious maintenance since. That's 18 years of potholes, fissures, pavement upheaval, and worn-out road markings.

The Bridge Problem

Here's the bigger concern: the Saymirín bridge sustained significant damage from a landslide approximately three years ago. Residents warn that the structural supports and guardrails have deteriorated to the point where a collapse could isolate upper areas entirely.

Community leader Segundo Agudo and resident José Luis Peralta have been vocal about the risks. Beyond the road and bridge, they point to heavy vehicle traffic exceeding the road's design capacity, speed bumps too worn to identify, inadequate lighting, and ongoing waste management problems.

What's Being Done

Wilson Carpio, a vocal on the Junta Parroquial, says maintenance work has begun on the worst sections using patching and resurfacing — but there's no defined timeline for completion. Elecaustro has signed agreements with local juntas to provide economic resources for road maintenance.

Residents aren't satisfied with patches. They're pushing for permanent structural resurfacing with double bituminous treatment — a real fix, not Band-Aids.

The community has also taken matters into their own hands, installing surveillance cameras and forming security brigades.

If You Drive This Route

Use extra caution on the Saymirín bridge and watch for unmarked speed bumps. The road surface is unpredictable, especially after rain. Until real repairs happen, it's a slow-and-careful situation.

Source: El Mercurio