A month after the collapse of the vehicular bridge in Quimís, the date for the construction of a new viaduct is still expected

PORTOVIEJO-JIPIJAPA

The dust continues to rise as vehicles pass by on the alternate routes to the collapsed bridge over the Quimís estuary, which fell on the afternoon of October 14. The measure was an alternative, since it was announced that a Bailey bridge would be moved from Jama canton and that the construction of a new bridge would even be carried out, at a cost of about eight million dollars.

“There is no bridge or wood here as promised, imagine. This is horrible, and we are already at the door of a winter. Hopefully the authorities will put batteries and put the bridge quickly, “claimed Wilson Reyna, user of this road, part of the main section of the route that connects southern cantons of Manabí with the province of Guayas.

Julio César Sabando, driver of a unit of the Rutas Portovejenses cooperative, lamented the road condition of that section, located in the Jipijapa canton, and said that he hopes that one day they will intervene.

After the fall of the Quimís bridge, Íngrid Briones, an agent of the Ecuadorian Transit Commission (CTE), indicated that on that structure that collapsed, road reports had already been made of the condition of the viaduct, which was in deterioration, but that already thereafter it depended on the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP).

Also Fanny Farías, zonal coordinator 4 of the MTOP, indicated after the fall of the viaduct that once the destroyed bridge is removed, a Bailey bridge will be placed in the Jama canton, which will be enabled until the new structure is built on the Quimís estuary.

The collapsed bridge still remains in place, over the estuary of the Quimís River, and the incorporation of the Bailey Bridge into the site where the 30-meter-long structure collapsed is still unknown.

Farías also pointed out that the work to be structured is part of a loan with Eximbank, a bank of Chinese origin, which also included the reconstruction of the Sancán bridges, also in Jipijapa, and that of Lodana, in Santa Ana.

Alternative roads to the collapsed viaduct in Manabí will be an option until the Bailey bridge is located

In the Sancán commune, located 11 kilometers from the center of Jipijapa (and neighboring town of Quimís), its inhabitants, mostly dedicated to agriculture and making corn tortillas with cheese or chicharrón, are afraid in case the His community’s bridge also collapsed like that of Quimís.

Monserrate Pilay, who sells tortillas, said that after the fall of the Quimís bridge, transport was limited in that area, so they stopped selling their products.

“You never know what might happen. We do not know how the bridge here (of Sancán) is, but you can already see that some pieces of iron are sticking out, ”said Pilay.

Indeed, on one of the sides of the Sancán bridge, irons already protrude. Esther Pibaque, another resident of Sancán, said that they have been demanding for some years to rebuild the bridge in this town.

Since last Thursday, an interview was sought with Fanny Farías, zone coordinator 4 of the MTOP, and the communication unit of that agency indicated that it would give an interview by telephone this Friday, but it did not materialize despite the insistence.

Juan Francisco Núñez, Governor of Manabí, in a telephone consultation that he granted to the channel Oromar TVindicated that there is already a budget to build the bridge over the Quimís estuary, a work whose cost exceeds seven million dollars plus the value added tax (VAT).

The provincial official also said that in the first instance it was thought to locate a Bailey bridge, but after the work carried out by several institutions to enable two variants on the sides of the bridge that collapsed.

Núñez pointed out that next week a provincial COE will be convened to learn about and leave the issue of structuring bridges on track. (I)