The Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales de la Universidad de Costa Rica (Lanamme-UCR) has determined that 14 bridges on the Bernardo Soto (San Jose – San Ramon highway) are in deficient, serious and alarming conditions.
The Lanamme made the findings public based on the results from its Unidad de Puentes del Programa de Ingeniería Estructural (Bridge Unit of the Structural Engineering Program).
One of them, the bridge over the Colorado River, is on the list of 12 that required immediate intervention according to an emergency decree issued on May 8, 2014, yet the work is still pending.
This highway on the west side of the Central Valley has had practically no major repairs by the current administration and incoming president-elect Carlos Alvarado said recently that the road awaits at least three more years of analysis.
The Bernardo Soto is part of the redesign and rebuilding of the road to San Ramon, the section of the Ruta 1 from the Sabana park in San Jose, announced during the Chinchilla Miranda administration (2010-2014) and mired in delays and canceled contracts that have cost taxpayers in millions of dollars so far and no road to show for.
Among the bridges that require intervention is the Francisco J. Orlich on the autopista General Cañas, by the Plaza Cariari. Another bridge that needs ‘serious attention’ are the Juan Pablo II, in La Uruca.
The Lanamme points out that the current state of the bridges of the Ruta 1 has been falling to an alarming state due to deterioration or damage.
All the bridges on the Ruta, with the exception of the Juan Pablo II, were designed according to AASHTO standards prior to 1977, so their vulnerability in the event of an earthquake is significant.
Source (in Spanish): Crhoy
