📋 Tender Overview
The towns of Barranquitas, Jayuya, San Sebastián and Villalba have four bridges that were rebuilt with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and that proved to be resilient to the resist the onslaught of several natural disasters since its repair.
Nearly $13 million from the agency supported the reconstruction of this infrastructure, where runoff from Hurricane Maria virtually destroyed the original bridges.
To strengthen them and prevent residents from losing access to their communities in the event of future disasters, funds under the agency's Public Assistance Program included over $8.6 million to address risk mitigation. This allowed the structures—which were originally fords with integrated culverts—to be redesigned and reconstructed into elevated concrete and steel bridges.
“These projects are a sample of permanent works already completed, where mitigation funds were invested to build improved structures that proved to be more resistant and safer for the residents of these communities,” indicated the federal coordinator of Disaster Recovery, José G. Baquero. .
One of the municipal bridges transformed by federal investment is the ford in the Abrahonda sector, in the Cibao neighborhood of San Sebastián. FEMA allocated about $5.2 million for this project, since the original structure was destroyed by the strong currents of the Guajataca River during Hurricane Maria. About $4.8 million of the total funds were to replace the remaining bridge with an elevated bridge.
The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP), Eileen M. Vélez Vega, explained that the mitigation works for this infrastructure have two main objectives: to increase the resilience capacity against future natural disasters and to cover the transportation needs of the communities. communities.
FEMA also allocated funds to repair a ford in the Cerro Gordo sector of the Caonillas Abajo neighborhood in Villalba. FEMA obligated nearly $2.3 million to rebuild the structure that was destroyed by continued rain from Hurricane Maria.
“This caused an unprecedented emergency by leaving the Cerro Gordo community and adjacent areas cut off from receiving assistance during and after the emergency,” said Orlando J. Negrón García, municipal secretary of Villalba. This bridge is used by residents of the communities of Cerro Gordo, in the La Cruz and Quebrada María de Villalba sectors; and part of the municipality of Coamo that borders this region.
The ford was replaced with a two-lane elevated bridge that allows runoff to flow in the event of heavy rain. Nearly $1.2 million of the total funding for this project addressed these risk mitigation measures.
“The new bridge in the Cerro Gordo community resulted in relief and tranquility for the families who reside in the area, since they are certain that when a future atmospheric event occurs they will be able to access the road and not be cut off,” said Negrón. Garcia.
Likewise, a bridge located on state highway PR-770 in Barranquitas was rebuilt to resist future floods and hurricanes. FEMA allocated over $3.6 million to the DTOP to demolish the cement ford and over $2 million of these funds allowed it to be converted into an elevated bridge with a pedestrian sidewalk that allows the natural flow of the Cañabón River.
Finally, over $1.7 million supported the reconstruction of another ford in the Mameyes neighborhood of Jayuya, devastated by the runoff from Hurricane María. About $700,000 went specifically to replace the bridge.
For his part, the executive director of the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3, in English), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, indicated that “thanks to the allocation of these funds and the diligence of the municipalities and the Department of Transportation and Public Works, these roads and bridges were reconstructed, thus giving greater resilience to the road infrastructure. According to the Quarterly Progress Report, which covers the months of January to March 2024, there are 2,358 road reconstruction projects that are in the design procurement stages through construction and represent a global investment approaching $1.2 billion. Meanwhile, another 986 valued at $170.6 million have been completed.”
To date, FEMA has allocated over $2.4 billion for more than 3,000 bridge and highway projects throughout Puerto Rico.
