The Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing of Guatemala will begin on Monday the assembly of a Bailey bridge at kilometer 111 of the Atlantic highway, in Usumatlán, Zacapa, to restore the crossing that collapsed after an accident. The modular metal structure will replace the Güijo bridge, while a provisional crossing keeps traffic open toward the country's Caribbean coast.
Crews from the General Directorate of Roads completed the assembly and casting of the bases that will support the new structure. They are also cleaning the channel upstream of the stream, and building drainage works and ditches to protect the highway.
Reinforcements for the provisional crossing and a future bridge with greater capacity
Before enabling the alternative crossing, technical teams removed vegetation and debris from the affected area and prepared the ramps connecting to the highway. The intervention included six metal pipes to channel the river's flow, retaining walls, and protections made with cyclopean concrete, boulder stone, and gabions.
The increase in rainfall and the swelling of the stream affected the temporary structure during the past week. The General Directorate of Roads built gabion walls on both sides of the crossing to prevent new scouring from moisture, after which traffic resumed flowing at kilometer 111.
In the area, two excavators, three dump trucks, and crews remain...
AI Brief
Your highlights
Guatemala's Ministry of Communications will begin on Monday the assembly of a Bailey bridge at kilometer 111 of the Atlantic Highway. (General Directorate of Roads of Guatemala)Guatemala's Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing will begin next Monday the assembly of a Bailey bridge at kilometer 111 of the Atlantic Highway, in Usumatlán, Zacapa, to restore the crossing that collapsed after an accident. The modular metal structure will replace the Güijo bridge, while a provisional crossing keeps traffic open toward the country's Caribbean coast. Crews from the General Directorate of Roads completed the assembly and casting of the bases that will support the new structure. They are also cleaning the streambed upstream, and building drainage works and ditches to protect the highway. Guatemala's Ministry of Communications will begin on Monday the assembly of a Bailey bridge at kilometer 111 of the Atlantic Highway. (General Directorate of Roads of Guatemala)Before enabling the alternative crossing, technical teams removed vegetation and debris from the affected area and prepared the connection ramps with the highway. The intervention included six metal pipes to channel the river's flow, support walls, and protections made with cyclopean concrete, boulder stone, and gabions. Increased rainfall and the swelling of the stream affected the temporary structure during the past week. The General Directorate of Roads built gabion walls on both sides of the crossing to prevent new scouring from moisture, after which traffic resumed flowing at kilometer 111. Two excavators, three dump trucks, and crews specialized in masonry, surveying, and welding remain in the area. The General Directorate of Road Protection regulates traffic and guides drivers during the following stages of the work. The Bailey bridge will be a temporary solution, as the Communications Ministry's portfolio plans to widen the Atlantic Highway to four lanes. The plan contemplates a new bridge with greater capacity to handle the traffic of this logistics corridor and mobility toward eastern Guatemala. The metal structure will consist of sections assembled directly on site. The already-built bases will serve as support on the east side of the crossing during the assembly phase. Guatemala's Ministry of Communications will begin on Monday the assembly of a Bailey bridge at kilometer 111 of the Atlantic Highway. (General Directorate of Roads of Guatemala)The disruption of the corridor began on August 22, when a trailer loaded with construction blocks struck the upper part of the bridge. The impact caused a fire, involved two light vehicles, and caused the partial collapse of the structure. The accident left four dead and five injured, in addition to blocking traffic in both directions for a week. Initial investigations attributed the failure to the vehicle's excessive speed before it struck the section where the bridge's load resistance is concentrated. The legal team of the Communications Ministry contacted the insurance company of the firm that owns the trailer to define coverage of the repair costs. So far, the cost of the works has not been specified. The emergency forced the construction of an alternative crossing to maintain connectivity toward Zacapa, Chiquimula, Izabal, and the border customs posts. The work mobilized more than 500 tons of materials and allowed traffic to reopen on August 29 at 8:00. The provisional crossing measures 120 meters long by 10 meters wide. Communications Minister Norma Zea indicated that it was enabled in almost six days, even though the initial estimate contemplated 10 workdays."Continuous work was decided upon in order to restore the crossing in the shortest time possible," Zea explained at the time. The construction required metal pipes, concrete, asphalt mix, boulder stone, and more than ten types of specialized machinery, with night and early-morning shifts.