Bridge of the Americas Maintenance Remains Under Evaluation

The Ministry of Public Works (MOP), along with specialists from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) carried out controlled load tests to measure the effects on the Brigde of the Americas.

The Bridge of the Americas passed all tests; its maintenance remains under evaluation.

According to engineer Edwin Lewis, national director of Studies and Designs at the MOP, the information gathered will be crucial in outlining the roadmap for comprehensive maintenance.

The tests were carried out at night to minimize traffic disruption on a road that remains a strategic axis for mobility in Panama.

The data collection was successful, and no immediate alerts were detected

According to the institution, the evaluation of the structure, through which more than 65,000 vehicles circulate daily, is part of a maintenance plan that tackles the wear and tear of one of the busiest road connections in the country.

This assessment comes following an explosion of a tanker under the bridge that resulted in a closure for a couple of hours and the controlled passage of cars.

The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) emphasizes that this is not the final diagnosis and clarifies that its main objective is to define a comprehensive maintenance action plan.

This data must now be processed to determine if there is accumulated wear and tear and to establish the type of maintenance the structure will require in the coming years (preventive, corrective, or major).

Source: La Prensa