Gibara suspension bridge undergoing repair
- Written by Lourdes Pichs and Ada María Bruceta
- Published in Holguin
- Hits: 913
For the residents of the Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos, the rescue of the Gibara Suspension Bridge is today an old dream, which in a few days will be a fait accompli.
History shows that this type of path in the coastal city dates back to the 19th century, when, thanks to the ingenuity of residents of the area, they created a wooden structure fixed to a system of cables, which allowed them to cross the rafts, although the youngest associate it with about 20 years ago, when at the initiative of the People’s Council it was build with the support of various entities, which provided cables, wood and other materials, according to Ramón Tamayo Velázquez (Papo).
Hurricanes and the passage of time caused damage to the bridge until it was completely destroyed; however, in recent years the longing of the locals to return to their original catwalk has prevailed, which together with the collaboration of various organizations and the commitment of the municipal government, have made it possible to go to the rescue of an ancient tradition of the people of Gibara.
Andrés Ricardo Rivas, vice president of the Municipal Assembly of Gibara, pointed out that “crossing the rafts and reaching the beach is part of the customs of this people, but it is also an option for residents of El Caliche and San Antonio, who have this road to get to the city in the face of the inconvenience of traveling by boat on days of bad weather”.
The bridge will be 75 meters long at the platform and 81 from one bank to the other, and it is planned to build a small concrete frame on both sides to avoid any type of accident with the cables. "In its construction, júcaro, 16-millimeter steel cables are used and the mooring is with three-millimeter wire, to avoid the action of salinity, among other resources."
“All the work is carried out with optimum quality, so that once it is put at the service of the residents and visitors, the most important thing is to preserve it, so that this local tradition that revives with the suspension bridge lasts over time”, he noted.
