City authorities say that the new footpath leading up Bogota’s Cerro de Monserrate, the mountain which overlooks the old quarter of the city and has the Cathedral de Monserrate at its peak, will be closed during Semana Santa, Caracol radio reported Friday.
The Bogota’s Mayor’s Office announced that the new tunnel, which was recently built to replace the unsafe footpath that led up the hill, would not be open to the public during the national holiday due to fears that it will not be able to support the quantity of visitors wanting to use it.
According to a study by the Bosque University, the path can support the weight of approximately 7,600 people daily, and the number of visitors expected to visit the Monserrate Cathedral during Semana Santa is expected to be 180,000.
Authorities are advising those wishing to visit the site during the holiday to use the cable cars or funicular train to reach the Cathedral.
Bogota’s Mayor’s Office is yet to announce when the footpath will re-open.