e-mosty June 2018 American Bridges American Bridges | Page 61

Bridges to Prosperity began work in the Americas in
2006, with the construction of three bridges in Peru
that would serve 4,500 people, connecting them to
schools, clinics, hospitals, and markets. Since those
first three bridges, we’ve served more than 400,000
rural residents in nine countries in Central and South
America and the Caribbean through the construction
of nearly 200 footbridges. As we’ve sophisticated as
an organization and designed for new and ever-more
technically-challenging conditions, we’ve constructed
bridges at longer spans, in more remote areas, and
with tighter timelines. What follows is an exploration
of a sampling of projects to be constructed this year in
the region.
San Vicente, Nicaragua – 67-Meter Suspension Bridge
13°26'06.0"N 85°47'01.7"W
Over the last three years, the communities
surrounding the Gusanera River at the key San
Vicente crossing point have seen three injuries and
three lives lost as a result of the dangerous crossing.
During the rainy season in Nicaragua, the river will
flood for, on average, eight days at a time, and when
it becomes too dangerous to cross on foot or
horseback, the community is cut off from essential
services, including the market, hospital, and both the
primary and secondary schools.
Figure 3: The Bridges to Prosperity team works on scaffolding
at the San Vicente suspension bridge site
This means that the 1,200 children in those
communities lose valuable class time, impacting their
learning and, ultimately, their opportunity to thrive.
This rainy season lasts months, meaning the river is
uncrossable for nearly 90 days out of every year. The community worked to construct a dirt road to
approach the crossing, and continued to maintain it in
the hopes that a bridge would be built. The 67-meter
suspension footbridge that the Bridges to Prosperity
team in Nicaragua worked alongside them to build
spans the river at the community’s key crossing point,
and means not only saved lives but a hope fulfilled,
and the chance for community members to elevate
themselves and their families out of poverty.
Figure 4: San Vicente community members cross with livestock prior to
bridge construction Figure 5: The San Vicente community crosses their newly-completed
bridge
2/2018