QCOSTARICA – Using the Bailey bridge located near the Castella Conservatory, on the General Cañas highway to restore passage along the Cambronero route is not a viable option.
That is the word from the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI), despite the fact that weeks ago the Ministro de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) – Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Luis Amador, explained that this was the only alternative.
CONAVI Engineer, Alejandro Badilla, confirmed this to legislators of the Infrastructure Commission that this solution, the removing of the Bailey bridge from its current location over the General Cañas to the Cambromero, was not possible.
The engineer explained that the 45-meter bridge located on the General Cañas highway is not enough to cover the some 200 meters, from point to point, of the extension of the Cambronero section affected.
According to Badilla, that bridge was actually going to another point of the highway, which has a 42-meter drop, in which it has now been decided to put another single-lane structure, to leave the Castella Bailey bridge where it is.
Badilla, in questioning, also referred to the issue of the closure of this road, explaining that on the day of the accident that left nine dead, the road was not previously closed, as had been said initially.
On Saturday, September 17, a landslide dragged a bus full of passengers and a motorcyclist off the side of the road, down a cliff of some 75 meters.
Read more: Tragedy in Cambronero: 9 dead, 30 rescued after bus falls over cliff
The day earlier, the road in a different area of the Cambronero had been affected bad weather and authorities had closed off the road, to be reopened the following days, hours prior to the mortal accident.
Public debate ensued as to who ordered the reopening of the road.
The Cambronero section of the Ruta 1 – Interamerican Norte – remains closed and expected to be reopened in mid-December, as the MOPT looks for a solution to restore the roadway.
Read more: Cambronero to be closed for at least three months
On highway issues, this Tuesday, the MOPT announced passage through the Cerro de La Muerte section of Ruta 2 – Interamerican Sur, in the La Hortensia sector, is again enabled after a landslide dumps tons of material onto the roadway days ago,
Passage through the Cerro de La Muerte will only be during daylight hours (6 am to 6 pm) and regulated
Authorities call for caution and to avoid traveling on this road (as well as other roads) if the weather conditions are not optimal.
