BRIEFS: Metropolitan

Bridge to ease traffic on calle 50 and vía brasil

The Corporación M & S Internacional is waiting for poles and cables at the intersection of Calle 50 and Vía Brasil to be relocated before installing a prefabricated Mabey bridge intended to streamline vehicular traffic in one of the most congested downtown areas.

M & S won the bid to build the two-lane bridge at a cost of $7.3 million. The project must be completed by January 2009, according to the terms of their contract.

Work is progressing as scheduled, and if the poles and power lines are removed quickly, the company should be able to meet its deadline, explained Yovanna Torres, M&S’s project director.

The Mabey bridge’s main beams, as well as pilasters, floor slabs, cross beams, bolts and handrails are being stored in the courtyard of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas in Pacora, said Torres.

Crews are currently working on expanding the bridge over the nearby Río Matasnillo and then will proceed to the sidewalks and gutters of the streets bordering the intersection, added Torres.