QCOSTARICA – After more than ¢157 million colones invested in reconditioning, the “Puente Negro” in Orosi de Cartago collapsed Thursday night. Fortunately, there were no vehicles or pedestrians on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
The bridge, part of the national route 224, is the main road from Orosi to Paraíso, said Gerardo Arce, president of the Río Macho Development Association and director member of the region’s Chamber of Tourism.
“Now we are practically isolated, it is incredible that such a bad reinforcement work was done, having paid hundreds of millions for that work,” said Arce.
Around 8 o’clock at Thursday night, a roar alarmed the residents of Puente Negro de Orosi.
José Solano, owner of a special services van, said that Thursday morning he saw a backhoe working near the piles, removing material. “I think it could have destabilized or undermined the piles,” he says.
The structure recently received repairs, to allow the passing of heavy machinery from the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), which is working on the Orosi Dos project.
The reinforcement works were carried out by a private company, under the supervision of the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (Conavi).
“Now we are practically isolated, it is incredible that such a bad reinforcement work was done, having paid hundreds of millions in that work. For this reason, no vehicle or bus was passing by, otherwise, there would have been an incalculable tragedy,” claimed Gerardo Arce, President of the Río Macho Development Association and director member of the Chamber of Tourism of the region.
Traffic official Gustavo Ordóñez, who attended the incident, pointed out that “there is no passage in any direction. Thank God there are no lives to regret because the last vehicles to pass left just in time. It has not rained hard in the area, nothing out of the ordinary”.
What will now be for this community that is an important agricultural zone and visited by many tourists given that there are only two ways in or out, both restricted to light vehicles for not more than 10 tons.
According to residents, neither of the two routes are in great shape. There is concern that the bridges will not be able to withstand the expected increase in the volume of vehicles, as they move people and goods through the area.
