On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico destroying everything in its path. The aftermath of this storm left communities disconnected from the rest of the island and with a lack of resources to perform daily activities. One of those communities was Utuado, whose bridge collapsed. U.S. Bridge quickly came to help providing a Liberty Bridge. Today we take a look to appreciate the benefits of the Rio Abajo bridge in Utuado. Also, we look at the progress that this community has made ever since.
Rio Abajo Bridge in Utuado
Hurricane Maria changed the life of Puerto Ricans with the devastation and damage it brought. Therefore, at U.S. Bridge we knew that we needed to do something to provide relief and help our neighbors. The hurricane left Utuado disconnected and isolated for approximately 60 days. So, when we learned that the Rio Abajo bridge had collapsed, there was no hesitation to fly to Puerto Rico and begin work.
With no bridge to allow the survivors to move and seek help, the community devised a zip line to receive goods from the other side of the river. This homemade zip line brought temporary relief to the survivors, as they were able to receive gas, food, medication, and other commodities. However, it was going to take more than just a zip line to bring full relief to Utuado.
Connecting Communities with Liberty Bridges
The construction of the Liberty Bridge helped bring Utuado back to normalcy. And survivors recognize this:
“After a couple of days we received aid from different federal as well as state entities, but what helped us the most was the construction of the metal bridge.”
The Liberty Bridge was the perfect solution for this emergency situation. With its adaptability to different elevations and quick assembly, we were able to provide swift relief to the community. And not only is this bridge fast to construct, it also makes for a great permanent bridge. Today the community of Utuado is back to normal life thanks to the Rio Abajo bridge. Also, Utuado was not the only community that received a Liberty Bridge, there were four other communities like San Lorenzo and Juana Diaz.
The U.S. Bridge Commitment
U.S. Bridge is committed to always build the best steel bridges for communities in the nation and globally. We are also proud of being part of the entities that provided aid to hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico. So, do not hesitate to contact us to begin your project today.
