MAP GOOGLE
Figures1 + 2: The location of the Arenales Suspension Bridge. Source: Google Maps
The 130-meter Arenales Suspension Bridge was
constructed over six months, through a partnership that
brought together representatives from seven different
organizations, five different countries, and a broad
variety of backgrounds.
The superstructure was completed in just two weeks, all
while maintaining a constant eye on safety and an
insistence on superior quality.
Inaugurated on February 4th, 2017, the bridge now
provides safe, reliable access to critical resources for the
community of Arenales.
course of the last five years to efficiently span significant
distances without the need for a mid-span tower, and
utilizing a unique tower design that uses less fabricated
steel.
All of this is done for nearly a fifth of the average cost of a
typical Nicaraguan suspension footbridge. In this way, the
Arenales Suspension Bridge stands as a model for
innovative design, elevating local standards and providing
a replicable solution.
2. THE PREVIOUSLY-BUILT CROSSING
The original bridge constructed by the municipality in the
early 2000s had failed in part because it was built with a
mid-span tower constructed in the river. In rural
Nicaragua, local municipalities don't have the specialized
and expensive machinery needed to excavate to reach
bedrock.
The insufficient anchorage of this center tower
contributed the scouring of the tower’s foundation, and
eventually to the bridge’s collapse in 2011.
Bridges to Prosperity’s suspension bridge design has
been refined by a group of volunteer bridge engineers
(the organization’s Technical Advisory Board) over the
Figure 3: The prior crossing at Arenales over the Esteli River
3/2017