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The Anita Garibaldi Bridge in Laguna was blocked on the night of July 9, 2026, by order of the concessionaire CCR ViaCosteira after technical inspections, engineers left São Paulo for the investigation and there is still no definitive diagnosis of the severity
The main highway of Santa Catarina woke up with its most famous point closed: the Anita Garibaldi Bridge, located between kilometers 312 and 315 of BR-101 South, in Laguna, was completely closed in both directions on the night of Thursday, July 9, 2026, according to ND Mais, in a report published on the same day.
The emergency interruption in the flow of the state’s main highway was determined by the concessionaire CCR ViaCosteira after periodic inspections and technical evaluations indicated the need for immediate intervention in the structure, according to ND Mais. And the most alarming detail: there is still no definitive diagnosis about the severity of the situation.
Why the Anita Garibaldi Bridge suddenly closed
The closure was not scheduled weeks in advance: it was an emergency decision. According to ND Mais, the concessionaire ordered the total closure after periodic evaluations indicated structural risk, and a team of specialized engineers is traveling from São Paulo to Santa Catarina on July 10, 2026, to conduct a detailed investigation.
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Only after the completion of this report will it be possible to measure the extent of the damage and the definitive time needed for the work, the report states. In other words: the current estimate for reopening is provisional, and those who depend on BR-101 in the south of the state still do not know the real size of the problem.
The initial forecast is that the total closure will last until July 20, 2026, when the partial release of the express lanes in both directions is scheduled, according to ND Mais. However, the concessionaire warns that new interventions in the structure will continue to be carried out even after the partial reopening of the section.
The 20 km/h detour that holds Laguna’s traffic
While the bridge is closed, all highway traffic has been redirected to a special scheme. To enable the flow of vehicles, CCR ViaCosteira set up, with the PRF, the Federal Highway Police, a detour through the side roads and the old section of the highway, with a single lane, with a maximum speed of 20 km/h at all points, according to ND Mais.
The heart of the detour is a well-known landmark in the region: the Cabeçudas Bridge, also called the Henrique Lage Bridge, located in Laguna and crossing the Imaruí Lagoon, reports the article. It is through this bridge that vehicles in both directions will cross while the main structure undergoes emergency repairs.
Northbound and southbound: the exact path to not get lost
ND Mais details the two detour routes. In the northbound direction, towards Florianópolis, drivers exit the main road at km 315, in the Bananal neighborhood, pass under the BR-101 overpass, follow the service road to the Cabeçudas Bridge, and continue on the service road, which will temporarily operate as a two-way street, until near the Líder Atacadista, where it is possible to return to the main road.
In the southbound direction, towards Porto Alegre, the diversion begins earlier, at km 310: vehicles are diverted to the express service road, cross the Cabeçudas Bridge, and continue to the Bananal neighborhood, where access to the federal highway’s express lane is open, according to ND Mais. PRF and concessionaire teams are positioned at the accesses to guide those arriving.
24-hour signage and queue warning on BR-101
The detour operation was designed to run without pause. The sections have reinforced signage and 24-hour monitoring, with PRF and CCR ViaCosteira teams positioned at the accesses, according to ND Mais.
Even so, no one promises smoothness. Due to the drastic change and traffic bottleneck in the Laguna region, authorities foresee heavy slowdowns and queue formations, especially during peak hours, reports ND Mais. The explicit guidance to drivers is to double their attention, strictly adhere to the detour speed limit, and, if possible, plan long-distance alternative routes.
It’s worth translating the message into practical terms, in this editorial reading, duly signaled: those who can postpone their trip through the Laguna stretch in the coming days, especially during peak hours, will save time and patience. Those who cannot should leave earlier, fill up the tank before the detour area, and treat the 20 km/h as a non-negotiable rule, because it is CCR ViaCosteira who controls the stretch along with the PRF, and the inspection is positioned at the accesses, as reported by ND Mais.
What is already known and what is still a mystery in the closure
The case has two layers, and it’s important to separate them. What is already known, according to ND Mais: the decision was made by CCR ViaCosteira, came from periodic technical inspections, the closure is total in both directions, the detour is set up with the PRF, and the partial reopening is expected on July 20, 2026.
What is still a mystery, according to ND Mais: the real extent of the damage to the structure, the definitive diagnosis, and the final deadline for the works, answers that depend on the detailed expert report from specialized engineers. Until this report is released, any date is an estimate, and the concessionaire itself admits that interventions will continue even after the partial reopening.
The importance of the Anita Garibaldi Bridge for Santa Catarina
Here is the observation from this editorial, duly signaled: closing the Anita Garibaldi Bridge is like tampering with the backbone of the Santa Catarina coast. The BR-101 is the corridor that connects the South of the country to the ports, beaches, and the rest of the Santa Catarina coast, and it is the source itself that describes it as the main highway of the state. Every cargo truck, tourist bus, and family car that crosses Laguna passes through there.
Therefore, the case deserves attention in the coming days, also in this editorial reading: the detailed expert report from engineers who arrived from São Paulo will determine if July 20, 2026, is confirmed or if the disruption on the BR-101 detour will last longer. Until then, the watchword in Laguna is patience at 20 km/h. Tell us in the comments: have you traveled this stretch of the BR-101, and how is the traffic in the region after the closure?
Watch: the Anita Garibaldi Bridge had already undergone repairs
An old record helps to understand the history of the structure. In a 2016 video, UNITVSC, the university TV of Santa Catarina, showed that the Anita Garibaldi Bridge, despite being new at the time, was already undergoing repairs, a portrait that the maintenance of the Laguna crossing has been a recurring issue since the early years.
