Colombia's National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has signed an agreement that formally authorizes the resumption of construction works on a critical segment of the Bucaramanga – Barrancabermeja – Yondó road project, specifically the stretch between the localities known as Lisboa and Portugal, which forms part of the project's Functional Unit 8. 

The origins of the setback trace back to October 2023, when a major landslide struck the national route at a specific kilometer point, severely damaging infrastructure that had already been built as well as works still under construction. In response, the concessionaire — Ruta del Cacao — carried out a series of emergency stabilization and recovery works throughout 2024, including slope reinforcement, embankment construction, road resurfacing, and drainage improvements, which eventually restored transit along the affected stretch.

However, a dispute arose over who bore responsibility for the landslide damage — the concessionaire, the project supervisor, or the contracting agency. To resolve this, 15 working sessions were held among the three parties. In September 2025, an independent dispute resolution panel ruled unanimously that the landslide qualified as an exempting event, meaning the concessionaire could not be held liable, and instructed all parties to agree on a new timeline and a technical, financial, and contractual solution to complete the unit.

The agreement signed in March 2026 puts that ruling into effect. It establishes 12 months for pre-construction activities and 24 months for the actual construction works. Once Functional Unit 8 is completed and handed over, the entire Bucaramanga – Barrancabermeja – Yondó project will transition into its operations and maintenance phase, improving connectivity between eastern Colombia and the country's most important oil-producing areas, and directly benefiting the municipalities of Bucaramanga, Lebrija, Barrancabermeja, and Yondó.