The government has completed the installation of a Bailey bridge in Las Naves, Bolívar province, restoring road connectivity to several rural communities. The new structure measures 45.72 meters in length and 4.20 meters in width, and replaces a previous bridge that collapsed due to heavy rains and increased river flow.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT) transported the metal structure from Manabí and installed it at the site where the old bridge had failed. The collapse had disrupted both vehicle and pedestrian traffic along this important route.
During the handover ceremony, Paolo Carpio, Vice Minister of Infrastructure, spoke on behalf of Minister Roberto Luque: “With the placement of the new bridge, the sector will have smoother and safer transit through an infrastructure of greater magnitude that will facilitate vehicular and pedestrian passage.”
The project is expected to benefit more than 26,000 residents in Suquibí Viejo, Suquibí Nuevo, Bellavista, Libertad, Bosque de Oro, San Luis de Las Mercedes, as well as San Luis de Pambil parish and other rural communities in the area.
As part of his visit to Bolívar province, Vice Minister Carpio also inspected construction work on a reinforced earth wall in Tambán. This is part of efforts to rehabilitate the Chimbo – El Cristal road segment that was damaged by a landslide in December 2021. The government plans to invest USD 2.5 million in this rehabilitation.
Vice Minister for Sustainable Urban Development and Housing Daniel Elmir and Bolívar Governor Andrés Pozo met with beneficiaries of a housing project for families building on their own land. They reiterated the government’s commitment to providing adequate housing for Ecuadorian families and visited land donated by Las Naves municipality for another housing initiative aimed at improving living conditions for local residents.
The Ministry stated its ongoing commitment to road development, dignified housing construction, and territorial integration within Bolívar province.
