public works

Bridge repairs shelved

Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) ignores bridge designer´s advice for general maintenance

Carlos Lemos/la prensa

troubled bridge: A former MOP minister cites political reasons for allowing the four year-old Puente Centenario to fall into disrepair.1003873

The Puente Centenario spanning the Canal´s famous Gaillard Cut is one of the indisputable engineering marvels of the country. Yet nearly four years after its completion, records show that the bridge has never been reviewed for maintenance of any kind.

At 80 meters in height and 57 meters long, the cable-stayed bridge presents a challenge when it comes to maintenance. The steel cable supports, 128 in all, are showing wear, their plastic covers are mildewed, and rust creeps into the cables´s grooves.

Whereas other countries with similar bridges have allotted resources for covering the cables with protective silicone sheaths, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) has neglected even to refer to the maintenance manual provided by the German company responsible for the bridge´s design.

According to the MOP´s schedule, servicing the Centennial Bridge is not a priority at this time.

"We are aware of the situation," commented Luis Manuel Hernández, the MOP´s deputy minister. "But not everything can be done at the same time."

He did note that once repairs had been completed on the Puente de las Américas, MOP would attend to the Puente Centenario.

Martín Isaac Donderis, president of the Sociedad Panameña de Ingenieros y Arquitectos (SPIA), said that the support cables require special attention because of the nature of the design.

"There should be a plan for monitoring the bridge´s maintenance, as well as a process for carrying it all out," Donderis advised.

For Eduardo Quirós, a former MOP minister, the current administration´s neglect of the bridge can be attributed to political retribution. "I believe their intention is to discredit works carried out by political rivals."

Quirós mentioned that the bridge´s poor lighting was another potential public hazard that should be remedied as soon as possible.

Experts estimate the deferred maintenance costs for the bridge could reach upwards of $100 million.