Colombian bridges facing scrutiny - image © courtesy of Wollertz, Dreamstime.com
Two troubled bridge connections in Colombia are to benefit from additional work. A proposal has been made for the redesign of the Chirajara Bridge while repairs and resurfacing will be carried out on the Hisgaura Bridge.
The redesign for the Chirajara Bridge has been proposed by Colombia's national infrastructure agency (ANI). The original bridge collapsed in January 2018 but there has been no agreement as to whether the existing foundations should be reused for the new link. This dispute has held back progress to build the new structure, which was originally planned to open in March 2021.
The Chirajara Bridge is an important link in the road connecting capital Bogota with Villavicencio in central Colombia. ANI has proposed building the new bridge with a cantilever structure, as opposed to the cable-stayed configuration that collapsed. The project to build the bridge was being carried out jointly by local contractor Puentes y Torones and the French firm Eiffage and for the client, Concesionaria Vial de los Andes (Coviandes). However, Eiffage has now withdrawn from the project and it is unclear as to how this will affect the rebuilding of the link in the future
Meanwhile the Spanish contractor Sacyr is carrying out maintenance and repairs to the road surface of the Hisgaura Bridge. The bridge was originally planned to open in 2018 but this was delayed until January 2020 as the central span of the cable stayed bridge was completed with an undulating surface, prompting concerns over its safety. The Hisgaura Bridge was built originally by Sacyr and cost US$35.3 million to construct. Since the bridge was completed with its undulating deck, the firm has claimed the structure to be safe.
