metro

Power cables stolen

The Puente Centenario and Puente de las Americas have been robbed of light.

The Mop and ACP are working to strengthen security measures to prevent more thefts.

DAVID MESA/LA PRENSA

danger: The lack of light on the Puente Centenario reduces visibility and makes driving difficult. Thieves have been stealing the cables that power the lights.968318

The thieves who have been stealing the electric cables that power the lights on the Puente de Las Américas and the Centenario bridge have left the two structures practically in the dark.

In the case of the Puente Centenario, the thefts were detected a couple of weeks ago, and the power company Unión Fenosa has been asked to assess the damages. The thieves have been breaking into the tunnels that house the cablesbelow the bridges .

In 2007, 32,354 meters of cables were stolen, resulting in monetary losses of $271,773.

Jorge Luis Vergara of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (Mop) reported yesterday that he met with personnel from the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) to strengthen security measures that prevent access to the Puente Centenario.

For its part, the Mop will periodically cut the grass around the base and beams of the bridge so that they are more visible. It will also clean up the area around the entrance to the tunnels, which are used to do maintenance on the bridge as well as protect the cables. The Mop is planning to put up New Jersey barriers and a "Restricted Area" sign as well.

Unión Fenosa has been asked to install lights that shine under the bridge.

Vergara said all this work will help the ACP provide 24- hour security for the bridge, which cost over $104,337,000. The Canal Authority has already placed a metal door at the entrance to the structure and grates over drainage areas. It also intends to install a staircase with restricted access and to clean the residues that have accumulated on the cables.

Vergara also said that the while the ACP was investigating the thefts, they found storage boxes that the thieves were using to guard the stolen cables.