Responding to a bridge collapse in the central Pacific last week, the Municipality of Santo Domingo de Heredia closed one of its suspension bridges along a popular shortcut from San José.

Engineers from the municipality noticed defects in the bridge after a recent survey, leading Mayor Raúl Isidro Bolaños to close it on Wednesday.

“It's a preventive decision, which will give technicians a chance to do a full evaluation to determine the structural condition,” said Bolaños. “If the technicians determine there's no problem, we will open it. But we don't want to incur risks.”

Bolaños said his decision was prompted by an incident in Turrubares last Thursday that killed five people. Long over due for repairs, that bridge over the Tárcoles River snapped under the weight of a bus.

“When situations like this occur, it's a good signal for us to take preventive measures,” he said.

The route connecting San José to Heredia will remain open, but traffic will be directed over a newer one-lane bridge built alongside the suspension bridge.